Earned It
by TokuBasileia
Summary: AU: "I am so so sorry!" The blonde on top of her apologize but she still didn't move from on top of her. "Will you get off of me?" Regina hissed, rolling them over before she scrambled up. The blonde jumped up right after her, before sending her a sheepish smile before running in the direction she was headed in. Swan Queen
1. Chapter 1

**Earned It- Introduction**

 **You Make this Look like its Magic,**

There were dozens of teenage girls scrambling about in the shared dressing room inside the school building. Fake tans, several pounds of makeup and eyelashes were being applied to every girl in the room as they all prepared for the Storybrooke Beauty Pageant that was going to start in several hours. Dresses and sequence littered every surface rendering it unavailable and the brunette sighed to herself. She was carefully applying a nude shade over plump lips, if she could get it right her scar wouldn't be noticeable. Mother always said beauty was in perfection and while she never voiced her displeasure with Regina, the teen could tell she wasn't what her mother wanted her to be.

Several different scents hung heavily in the air from the perfumes that were being sprayed and it was giving her a massive migraine. A violet purple went over nude, followed by a dry tissue to collect any unwanted lip stain. It took her a while to realize that lip stick isn't for everyone, it would smudge at the slightest contact and you would have to reapply it often. Since then she had bought ever shade of Mac lip stain available in the La La Luce boutique. Her makeup was done perfectly, smokey eyes with a hint of violet to tie into her lips, her cheekbones were accented wonderfully giving the eighteen year old the look of a woman well off into her late twenties. Everything was **perfect**.

Yet it wasn't. What was the whole point of this if she couldn't be happy with the young woman in the mirror? She had no doubt her mother was in the crowd along with whatever tag along she could find for Regina for when she won. It was most likely the son of some well off man, waiting to shoot his load off in the heiress of the Mills Fortune. Cora knew of her sexuality and her preference, surprisingly she didn't make a big deal about it...as long as it was a private matter. In public Regina was expected to act like a first class citizen with a big open heart. She had to volunteer for several charities, graduate valedictorian of her high school at sixteen, and was expected to be married in exactly three years and have a kid no more than two after that. Cora never physically said these things but Regina knew what was expected of her.

The problem stemmed from three things, one Regina was not attracted to the male species in a sexually derived way. Sure she could see the attraction in strong muscles and sharp chiseled features but she preferred something a bit softer. However if she wanted to she could always find a butch, lord knows some of them strongly resemble men these days anyway. Her attention was quickly snatched to the left when she saw a girl no older than thirteen eating water soaked cotton balls. This was where she drew the line. Pushing herself off the table, she stalked towards the younger blonde before snatching a drenched piece of cotton that was on its way to her mouth.

"What's your name?" Regina asked throwing the piece of cotton into the garbage that was beside them. She had gathered the attention of everyone in the dressing room by stopping the young girl. At eighteen she had never lost a competition and that had garnered respect and envy alike. Long story short everyone was always watching her.

"G-Grace Hatter" The girl looked up at her fearful brown eyes but Regina forced herself to remain firm. It was habits like this that ruined little girls, and she knew Grace had picked it up from watching the older girls prepare for a pageant.

"Grace...How old are you?" Regina questioned the scared girl.

"I'm twelve." Grace answered dutifully.

"I see. Why are you eating that?" Regina pointed to the bag of cotton behind the girl.

"I need to fit into my dress. Cotton doesn't make you fat." Grace shrugged.

"How long have you been doing this?" Regina raised an eyebrow looking down on Grace.

"About a week now." Grace licked her lips nervously when she realized all of the attention was on her and Regina.

"Okay..." Regina nodded testily before turning towards everyone.

"Listen up everyone! If I catch anyone doing anything like this again, I will make sure you are done with pageants for good. Your body needs nutrients to survive, starving yourself isn't going to make you any better. There is not a girl in here that is too fat to be beautiful. This is your first and last warning." Regina glared at everyone before turning towards Grace who had her head hung with shame.

"You're coming with me!" Regina grabbed Grace by the wrist and led the girl over to her locker. Putting in the code she grabbed a lunch box before thrusting it at the young girl.

"I want you to eat it all, if you can without getting sick." Regina order watching the girl pull out half of a peanut butter and jelly, an apple and a protein drink.

"But-but this is your food." Grace shook her head protesting.

"Now its yours. Eat it, I know you're hungry." Regina pushed the lunch back towards the girl. She directed the pre-teen to a stool and watched as the girl nibbled on the food it until it was all gone.

"I meant what I said Grace. I don't want you doing this again, there is absolutely nothing wrong with you. Put on your dress and get ready for the Petite section." Regina said before walking off towards her chair.

"That was a nice thing you did, Gina." The irritating voice of her ex piped into her ear. Tink Kendrick was the typical Gretchen Wiener of Storybrooke High and unfortunately it took Regina a lot longer to catch on.

"Is there a point to this conversation? Or is this just mindless chatter?" Regina response was brisk to the point of being almost biting.

"Well, I was just wondering what you were doing after this whole shebang?" Tink feigned innocent.

"Well I can tell you what I won't be doing...You." Regina slightly glared at the blonde in the mirror before she began to put on her eyelashes.

"Surely you can't still be angry over that whole Rapunzel thing? I apologized for it twice already, I'm not sure what more you want from me!" Tink pouted slightly, wanting to have the brunette's full attention on her.

"Look I don't care who or what you do, that is none of my concern anymore. I shall ask you once to leave me be before I press harassment charges!" Regina snapped, quickly losing her patience with the girl.

"God, your such a bitch!" Tink scoffed before stalking off. Regina ignored the off handed comment before she began to mentally prepare herself for the pageant. Warming up her voice and stretching out before she slipped on her beauty dress, which was an all white floor length princess style dress, with a sweetheart neckline. Everyone knows that white always takes the crown, unless you could pull off Red like Marilyn Monroe. She traveled through the motions throughout the competition, smiling when needed, answering all of questions with the grace of a Mills and class that her mother had instilled in her. Talent came and Regina had chosen to sing, something she knew her mother wasn't going to approve of. Yet that was the whole point of this. Her question from earlier in the night rang in her head.

" **What is your aspiration in life?"** She told the announcer her goals for the future, when all she really wanted to do was scream that she wanted to be happy.

" _Mama said you're a Pretty Girl, what's in your head it doesn't matter. Brush your hair, fix your teeth, it's what you wear. It's all that matters. Just another stage pageant the pain away, this time I'm gonna take the crown, without falling down down down!"_

Regina gracefully moved across the stage, remembering to keep the microphone several inches away from her mouth, so she would get that offhanded screeching sound. She purposely avoided her mother, but made eye contact with each judge that was sitting at the panel. One man and three women, all of their eyes started to gloss over when they heard the brunette girl sing with so much passion.

" _Pretty hurts, they shine the light on whatever's worse, Perfection is a disease of a nation. Pretty Hurts. They shine the light on whatever's worse. Trying to fix something but you can't fix what you can't see, it's the soul that need's surgery."_

She could see her mother grit her teeth from where she sat in her chair next to Robin Lamont, the son of a partner at her old firm. Rolling her eyes, she tried to ignore her pissed mother and Robin who looked like a bitch in heat. Why could her mother only except that her daughter preferred the company of woman over a man's behind closed doors?

" _Blonder hair, flat chest, T.V says bigger is better. South Beach, sugar free Vogue says thinner is better. Just another stage pageant the pain away, this time I'm gonna take the crown without falling down down down. Pretty hurt, they shine the light on whatever's worse, perfection is a disease of a nation . Pretty hurts Pretty hurts. Pretty Hurts they shine the light on whatever's, trying to fix something but you can't fix. what you can't see."_

 _"Ain't got no doctor or pill that can take the pain away. The pain's inside and nobody frees you from your body. Its the soul, its the soul that needs surgery. It's my soul that needs surgery. Plastic smiles and denial can only take you so far. And you break when the paper signs you in the dark. You left a shattered mirror and the shards of a beautiful girl. Pretty Hurts!"_ Regina finished just as the tempo finished out. She could hear the faint clapping but all she could focus on was the frantic beating of her own heart as she left everything she had on the table. She didn't want to do this anymore. The make-up and fake attachments, the overly expensive dresses. All of it was becoming too much as it began to slowly suffocate her, driving her to hate her own skin. She didn't want to be just another pretty girl.

She had changed back into her beauty dress just as her mother came back into the dressing room with a pinched face. Parents weren't supposed to be back here, but nobody had the balls to tell that to Cora Mills.

"Darling, you're sweating." Cora chided gently, and Regina wondered if her mother knew how to say a proper greeting.

"It's very hot back here with no circulation." Was all Regina offered as she pinned her hair into an elaborate up do.

"Still, it is very unbecoming of a lady. You'll ruin your dress." Cora clicked her tongue to the roof of her mouth, her patience wearing thin.

"Mother is there something you want to tell me? I know you didn't come back here to talk about perspiration.

"I want to know why you didn't stick to the song you have been practicing for weeks on. I spent a lot of money on that vocal coach, and I do not like the end results." Cora shook her head as she looked down at her daughter who scoffed.

"Please, you wouldn't have liked the end results had I sung Ave Marie." Regina clipped in a pair of earrings just as they began calling the girls to the stage.

"I expect nothing but 1st place since you insist on playing these childish games." Cora patted her daughter's cheek before leaving the dressing room. Regina walked to her spot and stood on stage, trying hard not to catch the overly bright light so her eyes wouldn't burn.

"In the Miss Junior Petite category; Best dress! Our first place is...Contestant number 8, Alice!" Regina tried hard to contain her surprise as the little girl in a bright yellow dress accepted the trophy placed at her feet. Talent! We have contestant number 3 Ava! And your first runner up for the entire competition is contestant number 6...Grace! Your Junior Miss Petite goes too...Contestant number 3 Ava!" Regina couldn't contain her grin when she saw Grace won first runner up, the little girl didn't even look said that she didn't get a crown.

,

"Your Miss Petite category. We have Best Dressed going to contestant number 9 Tink Kendrick's! In the talent competition we have contestant number 11, Regina! Our first runner up for the title Miss Petite goes to act number 17 Lilith...I mean Lily!" The announcer corrected when he saw the death glare he received from the girl.

"And out 2015 Miss Petite goes to contestant number 11 Regina!" She could feel the pointy tiara being placed on her head, and the sash being tied around her body. Streamers and confetti fell from the ceiling as all of the girl carefully walked in their heels off the stage. Regina quickly stripped herself from all of her makeup and slipped off the three thousand dollar dress.

"I'm glad to see you didn't make a complete fool of yourself." Cora took the trophy from her daughter as the younger brunette rolled her eyes.

"You have your trophy, may we leave now Mother?" Regina faked cheeriness as Robin walked up.

"Hello Regina, may I say you looked absolutely exquisite on stage." Robin kissed her hand before leering at her.

"You may but that doesn't mean I'm going to cream my panties and want to have a half a dozen babies with you." Regina smiled throughout her comment watching both her mother and Robin's flustered faces.

"Yes, well I was hoping for a date first." Robin chuckled awkwardly.

"I don't know exactly what my mother has told you but seeing that you're at...half mast or maybe it full in your case, I can tell you I am certainly not interested." Regina smirked looking down at his crotch before she looked back up at his blushing face.

"I don't understand." He coughed looking back and forth between the mother and daughter duo.

"I prefer a hole to a pole." Regina shrugged but Robin's confused expression still remained.

"Let's just say me and you have the same preferences." Regina tried again but Robin's face didn't change.

"My goodness, I bet my strap on is bigger than you dick! I can probably make a girl cum faster than you using nothing but my tongue an fingers. I can steal your bitch!" Regina exclaimed watching the light bulb go off in Robin's head.

"Regina!" Cora hissed effectively stopping her daughter from continuing.

"Oh I'm sorry, I didn't know." Robin scratched his head embarrassed.

"Didn't know, now you know now." Regina shrugged, before stepping away from her livid mother who was apologizing for her "crass behavior".

Stepping out of the school building, she was hit by a gust of fresh air. Loving the way the sun practically licked her skin, she missed a group of girls running down the sidewalk until she stepped into their path. By then it was too late, and she was knocked over by a blonde in a leotard and tights.

"Damn it Em, look what you did!" An older girl pointed to the now dirty costume the girl was wearing.

"I am so so sorry!" The blonde on top of her apologize but she still didn't move from on top of her.

"Will you get off of me?" Regina hissed, rolling them over before she scrambled up. The blonde jumped up right after her, before sending her a sheepish smile before running in the direction she was headed in. The older blonde turned to her, shaking her head.

"I'm sorry about that. We are just in a hurry to make curtain calls at the play up at Tournet's. I can pay for your dry cleaning." The blonde told her.

"That won't be necessary Miss-" Regina trailed off dusting off her pants.

"Katherine, you can call me Kat. The girl who practically trampled you is my little sister Emma. She was a bit excited, she got the part of the White Swan." Katherine held out her hand for Regina to shake.

"Well I'm sure you have something to do, I won't keep you waiting." Regina sniffed ignoring the hand. She couldn't get the other girl's bright green eyes out of her head, or the way her body pressed against a softer paler one.

"At least let me give you a ticket to the show. It's the least I can do. Maybe Emma can apologize to you properly. It doesn't start until eight tonight." Katherine pulled a couple of tickets from her bag and handed them to the brunette.

"I'll think about it." Regina accepted the tickets anyways just as her father pulled up.

"Darling are you ready to go?" Cora asked, firmly pulling Regina away from the blonde.

"I supposed I have no choice!" Regina sassed but kept a firm grip on the tickets. Maybe she would see those captivating green eyes one more time.

 **Any thoughts?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Earned It- Chapter One**

 **Cause I see nobody, nobody but you!**

Regina was forcefully pushed into her family's car by her mother and it was all she could do to keep from rolling her eyes. Not even seeing her father right now could break her out of her stupor. Already her mother started yammering to her husband about how ungrateful her daughter was, as Regina pretended not to listen.

"Nothing I ever do is good enough for her Henry! I try to find her a nice boy to socialize with and she insults his manhood and spews vulgar sexual innuendos!" Cora fumed looking at her oblivious daughter.

"Honey, I told you to let the girl breath. She is eighteen, old enough to make her own decisions about who she wishes to spend her time with." Henry chided his wife who pouted.

"I just want her to be happy." Cora sighed.

"I will be, once you stop shoving trust fund babies down my throat! I already told you!" Regina glared at her mother who looked rightfully scolded.

"How can you be happy and alone Regina darling? That not the life any mother wants for their child, regardless of sexual orientation." Cora shook her head.

"I'm alone because choose to be. Besides I just got out of a relationship not too long ago." Regina pointed out.

"With whom? That Kendrick's girl from Westview? Darling we both know that wasn't going to last very long. That girl was far too promiscuous to be tied down. Honestly you could do much better, male or female." Cora waved her off, her voice dripping with disdain for Tink.

"Yeah well, I'm not really looking for a soul mate here Mother. You should be more worried about Zelena. I mean what twenty-one year old still lives at home with her parents and does nothing all day? You should invest all of your time in her, so she doesn't end up a forty year old virgin with thirteen cats." Regina grumbled, watching her mothers eyes light up at the suggestion.

"Well there is that young fellow-" Cora started before she was interrupted by Henry.

"Dear. Stay out of our children love life." Henry warned his wife who was back to pouting again.

"Good God, where are you when she is trying to marry me off for a goat once a week?!" Regina joked, ignoring her mother's glare.

"I am not that bad!" Cora protested.

"You're right, you wouldn't sell me for anything useful. It would probably be a Goldfish that doesn't know how to swim. You'd just be dying to fix it, and find it another Goldfish who understands his struggles. All the while hoping they get their happy ending!" Regina fanned herself dramatically earning a series of chuckles from her father.

"Oh that's funny is it? I want to see if you'll be laughing after you spend the night on the couch!" Cora glared at her husband who was having trouble stifling his laughter.

"Dear, don't be vexed!" Henry pecked the woman on the cheek as she scoffed.

"You two together are nothing but trouble." Cora quipped, putting her shades down over her eyes as the driver drove them home, The rest of the car ride was silent as Regina studied the tickets in her hands. They read

 _The Black Swan. Showtime 8pm-10:30pm. Seats A12 and A13. $159.95_

 _Prime Seating, Balcony Booth_

Why would a complete stranger give away practically over three hundred dollars, simply because their little sister accidentally ran into you? Still it didn't change the fact that she was intrigued by these mysterious blondes. Plus she really wanted to see what the play looked like and why the girl called Em was so excited she was willing to mow down whoever was in her way. Pulling out her cellphone she text her best friend.

" **We're going out tonight. Be ready by 7:20, wearing something nice.-Gina"** Sending the message, she wasn't surprised to hear her phone buzz back almost immediately.

" **Thank the heavens above! I've been bored out of my mind! Armani or Gucci?-Ham and Potatoes"** Was the response she received from Graham and she instantly snorted back her laughter before sending **"Defiantly an Armani sort of night!"**

"How ladylike, I can practically see the suitors knocking down our door." Cora spoke sarcastically.

"Oh come off of it, or I'll tell Papa about what really happened to his apple pie." Regina shot back.

"What happened to my pie?" Henry narrowed his eyes at Cora who coughed before replying.

"Nothing dear." Blush graced her pale cheeks and his suspicions doubled.

"Well if you insist nothing happened, you won't have a problem helping Regina bake another one." Henry grinned, watching his wife scowl at him but not object.

"Anything for you my love." Cora laid her head on his shoulder as Regina playfully gagged.

"I want you to remember this day for when you bring your future spouse home. You know I am incredibly patient and I can give as well as I get!" Cora smirked looking at the now blanched face girl. Regina opted not to reply, instead jumping out of the family's car and thanking the driver on her way in. She ignored her sister and her friends as she climbed the stairs and rushed to her bed room.

"What? Did the little Princess not win?" Zelena chuckled as her parents came into the door.

"Please! Has a Mills ever lost anything?" Cora scoffed, placing the tiara and trophy down on the kitchen island to be put up later. She watched Zelena's posse as they began to pack up, wishing Ursula and Cruella a safe trip home. She chose not to comment on their strange names, because apparently that wasn't socially acceptable!

"So what's got her panties in a bunch?" Zelena skipped over to her mother, as the older woman placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Darling, sometime I really regret sending you to that school. I mean some of the things you say, they make me wonder!" Cora exclaimed, patting Zelena on the arm. The redheaded girl simply rolled her eyes before she climb the stairs after her sister, determined to get to the bottom of everything. Not bothering to knock, she burst into her sister's room just as the girl finished putting on a clean pair of undergarments. If you could call them that, it was a very scandalous black lacy lingerie set.

"Whoa ho ho!" Zelena chuckled taking in the set and her sister's blushing face.

"What the hell do you want?" Regina asked crossing her arms in front of her chest.

"Rawr, put you claws away. We both know you're just a wittle pwussy." Zelena mocked, throwing herself onto her bed.

"My gosh, why did you come back for the whole summer?" Regina was irritated.

"Miss my little sister's last year of life before she is thrown into the family business? I think not!" Zelena teased.

"You're in the family business too." Regina pointed out.

"Yeah in accounting. I'm only going to be CFO and I like it that way. You on the other hand, are going to be Henry 2.0. A raging bitch on heels." Zelena cackled.

"Make up your mind, I'm either a bitch or a pussy." Regina deadpanned

"Whatever! Are you gonna tell me where you're going tonight? Because with that little get-up it looks like you're trying to get laid." Zelena sighed deeply, sinking into her sister's bed more comfortably.

"I've got tickets to go see that play near Alexander's. You know by Tremonts?" Regina was looking for a dress to wear tonight but nothing was standing out a her.

"The Black Swan? That's been sold out for months. How the hell did you get a ticket to there?" Zelena propped herself up on her elbows as she narrowed her eyes at the younger girl.

"One of the dancers mowed me down today. Her sister gave me a couple as an apology." Regina shrugged.

"I heard the Black Swan is hot. If I swung that way, my lord! Blonde hair, crystal blue eyes and the most amazing lips!" Zelena mocked dreamily.

"How the hell do you know about the dancers?" Regina raised an eyebrow at her sister.

"The Black Swan is Mal, from Cambridge. She's won the spot since she was sixteen. We met back when I was in my studies. The White Swan used to be Elsa but she fell with child, so they got some pretty young thing to replace her. She's the youngest in the play, I'm surprised her parent's let her audition. Its very salacious part, even more so than the Black Swan!" Zelena frowned.

"How young is young?" Regina asked hoping she wasn't dying to see some fifteen year old Lucy.

"She's seventeen. Came all the way from New York." Zelena rattled off, watching Regina exhale in relief.

"So that's who your dressing up for? My my my, I never thought I see the day that the little princess has a crush!" Zelena gasped.

"I do not have a crush, I barely know the girl!" Regina denied with a little too quickly causing Zelena to raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah okay." Zelena chuckled, not believing her.

"Besides, I've had multiple relationships. Hell I only broke up with Tink several weeks ago!" Regina discarded a dress to the floor.

"Kendrick's? We both know that was a way to blow off steam. Hell you're doing some major remodeling to your dating life by going for the Midas chick. That's like going from Taco Bell to Chipotle. From Vegemite to Guacamole! From Walmart to Target." Zelena exclaimed.

"Okay I get it! However its not like I'm looking to marry the girl. I'm just going to receive a proper apology." Regina was once again denying.

"So they why are you putting on your freak-em dress?" Zelena pointed to the little black number that Regina held in her hands. It was a black bodycon dress that ended several inches above her knees, with a sweetheart neckline, it was completely backless with long lace sleeves.

"Doesn't mean I can't look good going there." Regina shrugged, looking at the clock that now read 6:45 . How the hell had an hour passed already?

"Alright, I need you to get the hell out so I can get ready!" Regina shooed her sister out of her bed and her room, ignoring the older girl's protest .

Quickly she got ready, slipping on the dress before trying to find something to do with her hair. She had been growing it out after having chopped off most of her near waist length hair after an argument with her mother about her sexuality. It was just now reaching her shoulders, as she decided to go for a teased look. A poof sat gently on the top of her head as she teased the rest back with bobby pins and clips wot make a distressed sort of Mohawk. Smokey make up and red stained lips followed, along with a brand new pair of red bottom pumps. Grabbing her clutch, phone, keys and the tickets she headed down stairs to her Mercedes Benz before making the short trip up the road to Graham's house. She didn't have to wait long for him to come outside in his Armani suit and equally expensive shoes. He climb into her car and whistled.

"Whoa, somebody get me a glass because you are one tall drink of water!" He grinned as she looked at him pointedly before pulling out.

"I'm significantly shorter than you, moron!" Regina quipped as they drove into town.

"That is neither hear nor there love. What's got you all dressed up?" He looked her up and down.

"We are going out to a play tonight. A very expensive play might I add. Might as well look the part." Regina shrugged, the rest of the twenty minute ride was filled with jest towards one another until they reached the valet section and got out.

"I want her returned to me in the same condition." Regina pierced the valet boy with a glare, taking note of his name tag. "Killian"

"Yes Ma'am." He nodded tensely when Graham chuckled.

"I'm willing to bet a hundred dollars, she's younger than you." Graham smirked before giving Regina his arm. They walked into the main hall of the theater and showed another young man their tickets when he directed them in a completely opposite direction from everyone else.

"You're going to go this way, and Robin will show you where you're going to be sitting." He said passing them off to someone else.

"Are you certain?" Regina frowned.

"Yes Ma'am, you have Prime Seating, you're going to be in the booth with all of the sponsors." Will nodded. They were led up a flight of stairs and into a booth that had around a dozen seats and a gourmet buffet spread set out. Regina immediately spotted the blonde who gave her the tickets, and she noticed the way the girl instantly smiled at seeing her.

"Hey you made it!" Regina admired the girls gold Valentino dress before smiling.

"Yes we did." Regina nodded gesturing to Graham. Katherine's face fell slightly before she picked it back up.

"Is this your boy friend?" Katherine asked, still waiting to be introduced.

"No forgive me. This is my best friend Graham, Graham this is Katherine. We met earlier when I was scrapping myself from off a very dirty ground." Regina jested but Katherine's face took on a red hue.

"She feels so badly about that, she is going to want to speak with you once everything is over. So don't leave when the lights come back on." Katherine smiled at them slightly, but her eyes lingered on Graham for a couple of seconds longer until an older couple interrupted them.

"Darling don't you look absolutely exquisite!" Another blonde woman hugged Katherine before she turned to assess her company.

"Armani and Christian Dior? You two wear them both well." She smiled but her icy blue eyes held apprehension when she glanced at Regina.

"Dear aren't you going to introduce us?" The man nodded his head at Katherine.

"Right this is Regina and Graham, guys these are my parents Phoebus and Ingrid Midas." Katherine smiled stiffly.

"Do you two come to the play often? You both make an excellent looking couple." Phoebus complemented

"No, they're here to see Emma." Katherine glared slightly at her father, who ignored it as Ingrid looked on sadly. Nothing more was said as the play started. When Emma came out to the stage, her presence immediately took Regina's breath away as she watched her the entire time. For two hours she hardly blinked except for the brief intermission and then it all seemed like it was over before it started.

"Well that was wonderful. I see Maleficent has lived up to her reputation once again. I hate to think about when she eventually decides to leave and go to New York. I might have a job lined up for her on Broad though." Phoebus complimented causing Katherine to huff violently.

"Is there something wrong dear?" He narrowed his eyes at his daughter who was fuming.

"No father." She gritted out.

"As I was saying, she is an excellent dancer. However I know her mother doesn't want her to go far ever since she came back from her studies." Phoebus continued to boast.

"Phoebus if you don't mind me asking, are the rumors true?" Another man asked boldly in front of Ingrid who tensed up.

"What rumors are you speaking of?" He smiled at the man daring him to continue.

"That you fathered Maleficent with Esmeralda. I mean there was that scandal several years back but it was practically swept under the rug." The man took a swig of his champagne as Regina and Graham looked on interested. He never got an answer as all of the dancers made their way into the balcony booth to enjoy champagne and some snacks. Regina watched as Phoebus embraced Mal in a loving hug, and as he completely ignored Emma. The blonde simply rolled her eyes and stole a glass of champagne from a waiter passing by. She still had on her makeup and Regina couldn't bring herself to look away.

"Come on, we can head to her room down the hall. She isn't going to want to be around for this." Katherine whispered leading them out of the balcony and around the corner to a spacious dance room that had an L shaped couch in the corner.

"Wait here, I've got to go save her from our parents." Katherine rolled her eyes as they sat on the leather couch.

"This has been far to entertaining." Graham chuckled causing Regina to laugh.

"Yes, yes it had been." She agreed just as the two blonde's walked back in, both silently fuming until Katherine gave the younger girl a hug.

"Don't cry, you're going to ruin my dress." this earned a chuckle from Emma who pushed her away.

"There she is." Katherine nodded to her head as Emma turned shyly.

"Hey, you guy's thirsty? We have tea, juice, water or whatever." She gestured to the fridge.

"Some water would be lovely." Regina smiled, watching Emma bite her bottom lip.

"Make that two." Graham agreed as Katherine went to grab them. Emma began slipping off various pieces of her costume until she was left in an all white leotard and tights like earlier. Graham watched his best friend eye the girl who was unknowingly putting on a show for her. He excused himself to talk to Katherine

"I just wanted to apologize for knocking you down earlier. Is there anything I can do to make it up to you?" Emma asked gingerly sitting neck to Regina.

"I'm not entirely sure. However I realize it was an accident." Regina nodded as Emma bit her lip again.

"I enjoyed the show. You are quite the performer." Regina complimented.

"Thanks...but the show was all Mal." Emma shook her head humbly.

"Oh but I couldn't take my eyes off a certain white Swan long enough to notice her." Regina flirted watching Emma blush deeply.

"I-uh...thanks" The blonde gave her a genuine smile and Regina realized she wanted to see more of them.

"I think I've figure out how you can make up mowing me down earlier." Regina smirked watching Emma's eyes trail down her front, resting for a couple of seconds on her cleavage before sweeping down to her legs and back up to her face. The blonde licked her dry lips before responding.

"Anything." Emma agreed before she realized what she was saying.

"Good, I want to take you out. Let's say Friday night?" Regina husked in her ear, causing Emma to shudder.

"I-I can't." Emma shook her head.

"Why not?" Regina frowned.

"I'm not like that!" Emma whispered harshly but Regina could tell she was lying. Instead of this making her angry or embarrassed, it amused her.

"Yeah okay." She snorted before crossing and uncrossing her legs, watching Emma's eyes snap to them before the girl licked her lips again.

"I should go!" Emma jumped up from the couch, causing her sister and Graham to look at her confused before she bolted out of the door. Katherine quickly glared at Regina.

"What did you say to her?" The blonde questioned crossing her arms.

"I simply asked her out." Regina shrugged

"Shit...and she just ran like that?" Katherine frowned looking at the door.

"Yep, figures I would be interested in a closet girl." Regina mumbled causing Graham to bark with laughter.

"So you admit your interested!" he pointed at her and Regina blushed when she realized what she said.

"She isn't in the closet! She came out two years ago to our parents." Katherine pointed out, causing Regina to raise an eyebrow.

"Then why did she say she wasn't like that, dear?" Regina cocked her head to the side.

"They didn't take it well. They sent her to a clinic to be fixed! She just doesn't want to disappoint them anymore so she's trying to be the perfect daughter. That doesn't include being attracted to girls." Katherine spat.

"You can't fix someone's sexual orientation." Regina glared at the blonde before standing.

"You don't think I know that? Tell that to our father! Look, if you like Emma...I say go for it. She only has a couple of months before she turns eighteen and she can finally leave. Don't give up because she's stubborn." Katherine shook her head before jotting down her's and Emma's cell phone number. Surprisingly she tore the paper in half and handed hers to Graham and Emma's to Regina before she walked out.

"That girl is something else." He grinned, watching Katherine's hip sway on her way out.

"Perv." Regina snorted.

"Says the girl who practically had her tongue in Emma's ear. Did you enjoy teasing her like that?" Graham cackled with laughter when Regina blushed.

 **Writing a sassy Regina is fun, lol. So what do you think?**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Two- Earned it**

 **I'm Never Confused**

Most people would never guess that a very eloquent and poise Regina Mills was infatuated with hip-hop and rap culture. She watched them with fascination, the way they didn't conform to societies standards and how they tried to live every moment like it was their last. They hardly cared about what the media and other people thought of them, instead they were able to just be themselves. Still she only listened to that type of music in the safety of her own bedroom, and with the security cushion of her own headphones. Her favorite artist was Drake, simply because he didn't mind showing his feelings without being to obscene. He talked about what he wanted to, but never went the traditional route of always objectify woman, money and drugs. Yeah he talked about it but so did everyone else. He still talked about deeper things and how they affected his life. Right now she was deep into one of his songs that she had been playing on repeat since she had returned from the play.

" _Running through the six with my woes...Counting money you know how it goes. Pray the real live forever man, pray the fakes get exposed. I want that Ferrari then I swerve, I want that Bugatti just to hurt. I ain't rock my jewelry that's on purpose, Bitches want my spot and don't deserve it. I don't like how serious they take themselves, I've always been me I guess I know myself"_ Regina rocked along as she half sung half talked the song when her sister burst in. The brunette girl flailed on the bed in fright trying to turn off the song that was blasting loudly through her beats headphones.

"What the hell don't you knock?" Regina snapped trying calm her racing heart.

"Oh my, what would mom say if she found out you were listening to Drake again?" Zelena grinned at her little sister.

"What the hell do you want? Besides to aggravate the shit out of me!" Regina asked sinking down into her bed.

"Details little sis, details. Mal told me you disappeared with a little birdie and I want to know what happened." Zelena jumped onto the bed beside her.

"Nothing happened, nothing at all." Regina grumbled into her pillow.

"Surely something must have happened, otherwise you wouldn't be trying to smoother yourself in a fifty dollar pillow." Zelena crinkled her nose.

"The girl is a freaking closet queen! I'm also willing to bet high dollars she'll be a pillow princess too but..." Regina sighed deeply.

"But what?" Zelena frowned.

"She's so damn captivating. She has just the right amount on innocence on the outside but her eyes tell me she's willing to get a little dirty if she has to. She's an amazing performer despite being shy around new people and she's so beautiful. And here I am fantasizing about a girl I've barely had a conversation with." Regina flopped onto her back, glaring at the ceiling like it would solve all of her problems.

"Sounds to me like you've got it bad." Zelena chuckled.

"Gee thanks, here I was thinking that older sisters are supposed to offer words of wisdom and advice. Yet I got stuck with the one who got her hand stuck in a toilet." Regina snorted at Zelena's gasp.

"That was one time! My phone fell in!" Zelena pouted, slapping Regina on the arm.

"And you just jumped in right after! I guess you learned not to take selfies in the bathroom." Regina teased.

"Well tell me, did you at least get the D.L.B number?" Zelena asked changing the subject as her cheeks burned in embarrassment.

"D.L.B?" Regina cocked an eyebrow.

"Down Low Bird! You know cause she is on the down low, and she plays a swan?" Zelena laughed at her own joke.

"If you have to explain it, it's not funny." Regina deadpanned.

"Or maybe you're not as smart as you think you are. So did you get the seven digits or not?" Zelena countered.

"Yes I received her mobile number. However it was her sister Katherine that gave it to me." Regina sighed.

"Wait so she has a sister and this sister gave you her number or her sisters number?" Zelena asked confused at the whole process.

"Katherine gave me Emma's number. Not just three seconds ago you were insulting my intelligence when you can barely keep up in a basic conversation." Regina rolled her eyes before picking up her phone.

"So have you called her yet?" Zelena asked.

"No." Regina frowned, staring intently at her phone.

"Why not?" Zelena was practically whining before she snatched Regina's phone from her.

"Because then I would have to explain how I got her number. Then there is the possibility that she's not interested in me, I would come off as some sort of creepy stalker." Regina furrowed her eyebrows before mock shuddering.

"Or she could be at home right now waiting on your call. Her hope slowly slipping by as she is questioning herself. Does Regina really like me? Why hasn't she called? Did I remember to put fabric softener in the laundry? Why hasn't she called? Does she eat sushi with fork or with chopsticks? WHY HASN'T SHE CALLED?" Zelena cried dramatically before breaking down into fits of giggles.

"Do all girls do that? I will never be caught waiting by the phone for some Jezebel to call me!" Regina scoffed while trying to grab her phone back.

"Have you tried searching her on Facebook? You know, get a look at the milk before buying the cow?" Zelena moved further away from Regina while opening the girls Facebook browser and she wasn't too surprised that she was immediately faced with a beautiful blonde with a face splitting smile. The girl had natural blonde princess curls that fell haphazardly all around her face and body and the most captivating green eyes that Zelena had seen. The picture was a high quality shot, and you could see flicks of blue and brown in her irises. Thin pink lips that managed to look full on her face, and freckles that peaked out from underneath her foundation.

"Damn, I've seen her in a video on YouTube before but that doesn't do her justice. I bet she's hotter in person!" Zelena wolf whistled before she began swiping through the girl's pictures.

"She is." Regina agreed before she realized her sister was practically drooling over Emma's photo's.

"She doesn't have a penis, so can I have my phone back." Regina held out her hand patiently.

"With a body like that I wouldn't need one." Zelena smirked before handing Regina back her Iphone. She had left it on a picture of Emma in her bikini. The girl was at an angle that allowed Regina a peak at the soft yet supple mounds of the girls ass, pale milky skin that looked slightly sunburned, and perky breast that were just the right size. She was surprised the girl didn't have abs, instead a lean toned stomach that Regina thought about running her tongue along. Wait what the hell?

"I think you're a little old for her." Regina snapped exiting the browser, unknowingly liking Emma's picture.

"Shit I forgot she is only seventeen." Zelena clicked her tongue with feigned disappointment.

"Can you leave?" Regina glared at the girl.

"Call her. It will be good for you. If she is scared about admitting her sexuality, say you're taking her out as a friend." Zelena smirked before skipping out of the door.

"Of all the sisters in the world. I was _blessed_ with her." Regina said sarcastically. She had decided she wasn't going to call Emma, if she happened to see the girl again she would ask her to dinner or whatever. If she just so happened to cross paths with Emma then that would be fate pushing them towards one another. Other then that, she was going to let the uninterested girl be in the closet for as long as she wished.

E.S

Emma had gone home with her parents and per usual the car ride was tense with her sister glaring at her father, her father feigning indifference, her mother drowning herself in a glass of wine they kept just for her in their family vehicle and Emma feeling extremely uncomfortable.

"So Emmalyn, your sister introduced me to your friends. They look like a strong couple." Phoebus looked intently at his youngest child, watching her for signs of that girl she once was. Emma simply tried not to squirm in her seat as Katherine jumped in.

"They aren't a couple." Katherine rolled her eyes at her father's antics.

"Oh really? They looked like a couple to me." Phoebus tried to feign innocence but that was the one thing he could never get away with when it came to his oldest.

"You make me sick you know that? You act like you're this high almighty person when in all reality you're just a bastard who can't keep it in his pants. You think you're some macho guy because you sent your daughter off to try to fix something that can't be fixed!" Katherine hissed causing her mother to sign deeply.

"Katherine darling..." Ingrid started.

"No you're just as bad! She begged you not to send her away but you did anyways. What kind of mother are you?" Katherine scoffed in disgust

"What she did was immoral, it isn't right!" Phoebus argued.

"Oh please, we all know you don't believe in the Church. You only took up mom's religion because you wanted a slice out of Papa's money. Adultery is also a sin, in case you missed that day in Sunday school." Katherine spat.

"It doesn't matter now, because Emma is fixed." Ingrid tried to end the argument.

"She was never fucking broken! She's gay! Okay, so what she likes girls! As her parents your supposed to love and support her regardless but you tossed her out the moment you found out. You did that because your marriage was crumbling-is crumbling and you want someone to blame other then yourself . Katherine glared at her parents who wisely decided against saying anything. The rest of the ride was silent and Emma was the first person to jump out of the car when they pulled into the Midas estate. Katherine quickly followed her sister upstairs and into the younger girl's room.

"It feels so weird being back here." Emma said, looking like a stranger in her old room. She was finally getting used to her surroundings once more since being sent away at fifteen. It was only a couple of weeks ago, she was deemed cure of homosexuality and was allowed to return 'home'.

"It was weird when you were gone." Katherine frowned, looking at her troubled little sister.

"I never wanted him to hate me. If I could change it, I would in a second just for him to look at me like I'm his little girl again." Emma said pinching the skin on her wrist.

"Don't say that! You shouldn't have to feel like you have to change to conform to anyone's standards. You are perfect just the way you are Emma." Katherine argued.

"You don't understand. He hates me, my own father hates me. He would rather come out and say Mal is his daughter then to even look at me anymore. Mom isn't any better. I thought she would stand up for me but she was just like another bystander. And you weren't here...I was all alone and you weren't here." Emma banged her fist into her hand in frustration.

"If I had known, I would have come home. I would have fought for you. They told me you were away for school while studying dance. I didn't know Emma." Kat shook her head.

"It's fine, I' now. Three more months and then we can leave right?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Papa already said he is going to help us out. We both have our inheritance, we don't need Mom or Dad." Katherine agreed.

"My birthday present to myself is leaving the people who brought us into this world." Emma chuckled humorlessly.

"...why did you run from Regina? I can tell she likes you, and you must like her too to have run out like that." Kat pointed out.

"I- it's complicated." Emma shook her head.

"So un-complicated." Kat said in a duh tone.

"I don't want to go back...the things they do to you down there Kath, I can't go back. If they found out, I would spend by summer there again, I can't risk it! Emma pleaded.

"Do you think I would let you get sent back? You don't have to be afraid anymore Emma...maybe you should talk about what happened in New York. Holding it in will only hurt you." Katherine said sympathetically.

"I can't ….not yet." Emma shook her head.

"So would this be a bad time to tell you I gave Regina your phone number?" Katherine asked, watching Emma's head snap up.

"You did what?" Emma's eyes widen, as she opened up her phone to check for any missed calls.

"I gave her your number. She really likes you Em, if you like her then take the chance." Katherine shrugged.

"Like her? I barely know her besides the fact that I knocked her down." Emma exclaimed.

"Well you could have changed that had you just went out with her. Do you think she's hot?" Katherine grinned.

"Hot? The girl is practically sex on heels! Emma scoffed when her phone buzzed loudly.

"Is that her?" Katherine squealed as Emma rolled her eyes.

"Calm your tits, it's just a notification." Emma swiped open her phone and tapped the browser.

"Regina Mills liked your Photo. Regina Mills liked your Photo. Regina Mills liked your Photo." Emma's eyes bugged out when she seen the girl had liked six of her photo's from earlier in the week. Most of them being beach shots from when Katherine and her friends took Emma out.

"I think it's safe to say she likes you." Katherine smirked.

"So why hasn't she called?" Emma raised an eyebrow before clicking on Regina's profile. She began scanning facts about her. Half Latina and Half Italian, she was almost thirteen months older then Emma but that really wasn't much of a problem. Regina had all different types of scholarships and grants with names attached to them for the pageants she won, and she liked to sing which was a bonus because so did Emma.

"Her pictures don't do her justice. I mean did you see her tonight?" Katherine teased and got the expected glare she was waiting for.

"Bitch, the door." Emma flicked her finger to the door, moving her phone out of Katherine's view.

"Send her a friend request if you don't want to go out yet. You have to start somewhere." Katherine said before leaving her sister's room to go call Graham. Instead of Emma sending her a friend request, she just decided to send her a instant message.

" _ **One picture lets me know you find me attractive, two you maybe interested but don't you think six is a bit excessive ;)"-Emma**_

She didn't have to wait too long to hear a reply before her phone dinged.

" _ **Yes well what can I say, the more I see the more I like ;)"-Regina**_

" _ **So why haven't you called?"-Emma**_

" _ **Well when a girl literally runs away from me, I get the slight feeling she isn't interested"-Regina**_

" _ **Yet you still liked the pictures..."-Emma**_

" _ **Doesn't mean I can't enjoy the view." -Regina**_

" _ **And oh how I enjoyed the view ;)"-Regina**_

" _ **I didn't mean to run away from you, it was just all a bit much =/"- Emma**_

" _ **You can correct this grave matter on Friday. Me- You, dinner at Granny's diner say 7."-Regina.**_

" _ **Is this a date or a friendly get together?" -Emma**_

" _ **It can be whatever you want it to be...I'm not going to pressure you, but I would like to get to know more about the White Swan."-Regina.**_

" _ **Can I decide when we get there?"-Emma**_

" _ **Yes, dress casual. Have a wonderfully night, little bird"- Regina**_

Regina ended the conversation and logged off. She was going to take this as a victory but she couldn't believe her sister was right when she said Emma would be upset if she didn't call. However Zelena Mills was going to have hell to pay come morning for liking all of those pictures. Yet she couldn't be too mad at the girl since it did get her a maybe date.

 **Up Next: 'The date'...Let me know what you think, and if there is anything you want to see happen during the said date.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four- Earned it.**

 **Hey-Hey,**

The rest of the days leading up to Friday morning had come and gone, like leaves in the wind. Emma had been successful at keeping her head down and not letting her father's derogatory remarks make her too upset. Honestly it wasn't even her father that got to her the most, Katherine had always been the daddy's girl out of both of them. Emma was simply the child that forced her parents to stay married longer than they wanted to be. She was used to his disdain when it came to her, so it hardly ever affected her. It was see her mother fold underneath her father's word. Ingrid had always been there for her in ways that her father wasn't. Not like it mattered anymore, she wasn't there when Emma needed her the most. She didn't stick up for Emma when she begged not to be sent away. She just took one hard look at Emma and her best friend Lily before walking away.

Her father had her bags packed that night and a driver took her away to 'camp'. The camp was actually hell on earth. They would force teenagers who identified as lesbian, gay or bisexual to interact with the opposite sex. They would make them touch each other and if they refused they had their parent's permission to try to cure them with electroshock therapy. Emma wasn't a quick study, and she had spent more time in that chair covered in her own urine then she could count. It was because of this that she couldn't look her mother in the eye. Because she wasn't there!

"Hey what's on your mind?" Katherine asked plopping herself down beside her sister who was digging her nails into her knees.

"This is a bad idea Kat. I can't go back!" Emma looked at the older blonde with glassy eyes.

"Em, what happened?" Katherine asked concerned, taking Emma's hands into her own.

"What if they found out? He doesn't care about me like he does you or Mal!" Emma ranted, the tears in her eyes refusing to fall.

"I'm not going to let that happen. Neither is Papa or Nana. They didn't even know dad had sent you away, they tore into Mom after you left." Katherine admitted.

"Nobody knew I got sent away , just like no one came for me until someone said I was cured." Emma replied bitterly, taking her hands back from her sister.

"Emma...I'm so sorry that I wasn't here for you. When I was at school I thought- I don't know what I thought but I should have tried checking up on you." Katherine's eyebrows furrowed into a grimace.

"Why did he do that to me? I know I'm not the best kid but I'm still his daughter. Hes never been a father to me." Emma ran a hand through her princess curls before there was a curt knock on her door. Phoebus came in moment's later not even waiting for a response.

"Kit-Kit, good morning. Emma"He nodded his head to the two girls sitting on the bed.

"Good morning." Katherine responded tersely , Emma opted for not saying anything.

"Do you have any plans for tonight? If not Emma, you know the rules. You are to be in by 9:30 pm, we don't need you running the risk of temptation." Phoebus didn't even realize he was glaring slightly at the girl.

"No I think that after being molested several times, I know exactly what to avoid if I want to stay on the path of righteousness!" Emma managed to chew out a response.

"Oh stop with your dramatics. Your mother and I did what we had to do, to save you from yourself and your wicked thoughts!" Phoebus pursed his lips into a thin line as he looked at his youngest.

"Maybe that should strap you to a chair and send burst of electricity through your body until you have a seizure. Maybe they should do it for hours until you defecate yourself, and they leave you sitting in your own mess. Maybe then you'll keep it in your pants, Father! Or maybe we should follow Leviticus 20:10. If a man commits adultery with another man's wife-with the wife of his neighbor- both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death!" Emma snapped, catching her father off guard. The man went pale from the accusation before he could feel his rage bubbling up.

"You shouldn't speak on what you don't know, child" His voice was like gravel, as Katherine watched on surprised that her sister said anything at all.

"Things I don't know? Since I was a child, it was shoved down my throat that you preferred your love child over me. I just had to deal with it...as a father you failed! You were supposed to protect me but you were the reason any of this happened at all! I fucking hate you! Probably just as much as you hate me!" Emma hissed watching her father blanch before his face fell.

"Unless you have plans, I expect for you to be in the house no later then 9:30." Phoebus repeated what he had said earlier, ignoring the burning sensation in his chest from Emma's words.

"She's going out with me tonight. I'll text mom about what time we will be back." Katherine interjected seeing her father's stiff nod before he left the room.

"Do you feel better?" Katherine asked her sister, who looked like she had just taken several heavy weights off her shoulder.

"A little bit, I've been wanting to say that for far too long. I just always held back." Emma shrugged sinking down.

"Look why don't we focus on tonight and you having fun. Let's find you something to wear and fix you hair up. Make you look like the princess you are." Katherine said in a slightly teasing tone causing her younger sister to glare at her. Emma's phone buzzed the classic Iphone tone, alerting them to a text message.

" **Good morning Gorgeous ;)"** Emma blushed reading the message.

"What does it say?" Katherine asked bouncing up and down on the bed, trying to read over Emma's shoulder. Emma taking pity on her sister, showed her the message.

"Well isn't she just a charmer." Katherine rolled her eyes.

"Oh stop. She's sweet." Emma snatched her phone back before typing out her own reply.

" **Good morning :)"** Emma replied back, getting a response almost immediately.

" **I hope you're ready for tonight. Wear something casual that you won't mind getting a bit...dirty ;)"**

"Oh you are so getting laid tonight" Katherine joked over her shoulder causing Emma to flush.

"Good lord Kat, do you have a filter? I'm pretty sure we can find and dust one off for you!" Emma slapped the older girl lightly on the arm.

"You know I'm kind of jealous. Graham hasn't even text me yet." Katherine pouted.

"Well it's his loss really. Besides you can do so much better than the scruffy sidekick." Emma snorted out her reply.

"Come on, you know he's hot." Her sister grinned.

"He has some physical appeal, other then that I would venture to say he's duller than the paint on the garage. But if simple is your type..." Emma smirked at her sister who scoffed.

"Not everyone is looking for that intellectual connection. Some of us just want to have a good time." Katherine huffed, crossing her arms.

"I think what you're looking for usually results in a pregnancy scare, and hang over and a life time of regrets. Not to mention the six month check up at a free clinic" Emma was all snark, watching her sister horrified expression. Shaking her head in an effort to stop from laughing she headed into her walk in closet pulling out a pair of gray leggings and a baby blue and white plaid shirt. She grabbed a white tank top, a white lacy thong and a matching bra before tossing them on the bed. Katherine still had her mouth wide open, looking at her sister in shock.

"I can't believe you said some shit like that to me." Katherine gasped.

"Would you rather hear it from me now, or from a nurse in two months?" Emma asked watching Katherine stick her tongue out.

"And they say I'm the child?" Emma raised an eyebrow.

"I thought you said you were taking the poor girl out to eat?" Zelena tilted her head to the side looking at her little sister.

"Yeah I said that, only to get her to agree to the date. I'm taking her to the stables." Regina snorted as she looked at her ass in her mirror. She had purposely picked out a pair of black leather trousers, knowing that riding would be the only time she could get away with wearing them without looking like a weird ass.

"Mhmm and the Yamaha FZ-09 sitting out in front of the house is for what?" Zelena cocked an eyebrow.

"Gotta pick her up in style. It's set the precedent for the whole date. Plus I look damn good on it." Regina smirked as she went to grab her black leather jacket.

"Did you tell Dad you were taking your crotch rocket out or is that going to be something else I'm going to have to keep on the D.L?" Zelena questioned.

"He knows I'm taking Chip out, I'll be back later. Don't wait up!" Regina teased causing Zelena to smack her on the ass.

"Don't be a hoe! No cookie on the first date!" Zelena called out.

They had agreed to meet up at a neutral location, hence the reason why when Regina finally rolled up to Granny's on her all black Yamaha, they were surprised when she held out a helmet for Emma.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emma's jaw dropped when she caught sight of the most gorgeous motorcycle she had ever seen.

"Is it not up to par? I mean I still have time to head home and grab my car if you would prefer." Regina frowned, thinking her idea to have Emma ride on the motorcycle with her was a bad idea.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emma repeated this time her tone in outrage.

"Really it's no problem..." Regina was about to start the motorcycle up again when Emma snatched the helmet.

"I've always wanted one but my mother told me no! Oh my goodness, Kat do you see it?" Emma was practically bouncing on her toes and Regina could feel herself relax slightly.

"I think your dirt bike just made her cream her panties." Katherine snorted causing both girl's to glare at her for different reasons.

"It's not a dirt bike idiot and I can assure you I didn't cream my panties like you would if a certain somebody was here." Emma said pointedly, climbing on the back of the motorcycle and wrapping her hands around Regina's waist.

"Remember to meet me back here around 10:30 ish and we will both head back to the house." Katherine warned before walking off. Regina slipped her helmet back on before making sure Emma was holding on tight. When she first took off Emma gripped at her tightly, and Regina was enjoying the feeling of the girl pressed tightly into her back. Ten minutes into the trip Emma had relaxed slightly but kept her firm grip on Regina's stomach around the leather jacket. Pulling onto the dirt road leading to her family's stables, she drove until she was almost 600 ft away, not wanting to startle the horses. Parking 'Chip' Regina slid her helmet off, noticing that Emma had yet to let go of her waist. This little fact caused her to chuckled deep from her chest. Turning around to where Emma got the hint and let her go finally, she watched as blonde curls cascaded down the girl's back in a waterfall.

"I thought you said we were going out to eat." Emma scrunched up her nose.

"Dinner at a diner for the first date is so predictable. I wanted to do something a bit more meaningful." Regina replied when her and Emma got off her bike.

"I haven't decided yet if this was a date or a get together." Emma smirked at Regina's presumptuous nature.

"What can I say, I'm optimistic." Regina grinned before taking Emma's hand into her own and leading her towards the stables.

"Optimistic or cocky? Either way it's a good look on you." Emma found it easy to flirt with the brunette, something about the others girl's presence was extremely comforting.

"I'm glad it appeals to you." Regina offered her a small smile before she began looking down at the ground.

"I like confidence, usually it's because I'm the one bumbling around. It's nice for someone else to lead for a bit until I can get my feet into the water." Emma admitted.

"How long have you know about your sexuality? I mean are you bi, gay, bi-curious?" Regina asked, needing to know the answer as much as she wanted to also.

"I'm gay. I've known since I was fourteen, my parent's found out when I was fifteen. Then they wanted to fix me." Emma answered, swallowing passed the lump in her throat.

"Fix you?" Regina raised an eyebrow.

"A camp for homosexual kids...it's effective in the way you don't even want to look at another girl or a boy without thinking you're going to be punished. A whole lot of pervs playing God if you ask me." Emma shrugged.

"I heard about that. My mother had a couple of them shut down a few years back. My parents were upset at first but then they were pretty supportive. I mean they still like to keep things behind closed doors but they wouldn't try to 'fix me'." Regina spat out the word fix like it was a disease.

"What can I say, we can't all have parents like that...why don't we talk about something else?" Emma asked uncomfortable with the conversation.

"Okay, do you ride?" Regina asked turning towards her, watching Emma's skin flush.

"Dirty dirty girl, what have I gotten myself into?" Regina smirked when she caught onto Emma's train f thought.

"Well you weren't very specific in what I am going to be riding!" Emma shot back.

"Rocinante!" Regina whistled out into the field and from her peripheral vision she could see the strong black stallion racing towards her. He slowed as he reached the field and Regina cooed at him.

"What the hell is that?" Emma yelped, jumping away from the fence.

"This is Rocinante, he's mine. I've had him since I was a little girl. Today I thought I would share something that I hold close to me. Riding is one of my favorite hobbies." Regina answered

"You expect me to get on that?" Emma gasped.

"I mean it would be nice, yes. However if you're feeling uncomfortable we can just walk the rest of the way to what I had planned." Regina frowned, and it was then Emma realized she didn't want to be the cause of it anymore.

"You're getting on with me, right?" Emma asked

"That was the plan." Regina nodded.

"Don't let me fall." Emma said seriously as Regina took her hand once more.

"I won't let anything happen, I promise. Now come on before the second part gets ruined." Regina grinned. She quickly prepared Rocinante before helping Emma up and sliding on behind her. They road at a steady pace, not too fast and not too slow and it only took about fifteen minutes before they reached a spot in the meadow that she had secured. It was right by the old barn and Emma could see some type of white cloth covering most of the side of the building. Right in front of it was a small wireless projector , a blanket and a picnic basket.

"Did you do all of this?" Emma cocked her head to the side as she looked at a blushing Regina.

"Yeah, I had a bit of help." Regina shrugged jumping off her horse and helping Emma down.

"I told my sister you were sweet." Emma shot the brunette a dimpled cheek smile causing Regina to snort.

"How'd you get on the subject of that?" Regina asked, kicking up a bit of rocks as they walked towards the blankets.

"She seems to think you're a bit of a charmer. I think you're sweet." Emma replied.

"I can assure you Miss. Midas, I am anything but sweet." Regina husked into her ear, causing Emma to shiver.

"Opinions are meant to differ." Emma tried to play it off.

"I suppose, why don't we sit?" Regina gestured to the black blanket watching Emma sink to her knees. Regina bent down to begin fiddling with the wireless monitor while Emma took the time to admire the way her ass looked pushing against her leather trousers.

"Comedy, horror, SiFi , Romance or Drama?" Regina asked over her shoulder, watching how Emma's eyes stayed glued to her assets.

"Comedy." Emma replied instantly, tearing her gaze away for a moment to pick at the grass.

"Good choice. I have Ride Along, 22 Jump Street or Heat." Regina continued to narrow down the choices.

"I haven't seen Ride Along yet, so I guess that's a good choice as any." Emma shrugged as Regina pressed several more buttons before coming to sit next to her.

"So I've seen you in sweatpants, a dress and now leather...any other styles I should be aware of?" Emma's lips quirked as she asked the question.

"I just wear what I like, I don't like conforming to one particular style. I've seen you in tights, a ridiculously expensive Swan costume and leggings. Anything I should know about?" Regina shot back.

"Like you I just go with the flow. Most of the time if it's not for dance, I just throw on whatever." Emma shrugged as Regina went to open the picnic baskets. Inside were two bottles of Glacier Freeze Gatorade, two separate containers of food that she couldn't see yet and then a decent size chocolate moose pie.

"So another thing I like to do is cook. I made us some lemon garlic grilled chicken, Italian pasta salad and some asparagus." She opened the tray and handed it to Emma who took it with a smile and a thanks.

"Are you Italian?" Emma asked cocking her head to the side.

"Sicilian and Puerto Rican. " Regina supplied before handing Emma a juice. They both began digging into their food, exchanging casual conversation when Emma asked a question she had been dying to ask.

"Why are you doing all of this? I mean telling me all of this stuff about you. Not that I mind but most people wait until a littler further on to reveal anything." Emma rambled and all Regina could do was smile at the brunette.

"I'm not normally like this. I don't take people here, or let them ride 'Chip' or Rocinante. However my father always said if you want something to last, you have to cut out all off the fake pretenses. Why would I take you out on a couple of faked dates or get together or whatever when I could just be upfront and show you that I like you and am interested in getting to know you?" Regina answered honestly

"Maybe Katherine was right, you are quite the charmer." Emma ducked her head shyly.

"I prefer charismatic" Regina grinned as they settled into the rest of their date.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five- Earned it**

 **I'm so used to being used,**

She had taken Emma out on several more 'get together', since the blonde had refused to specify whether or not they were dates. Still Regina had found herself enjoying the blonde's company too much to really mind her indecisiveness. She considered them dating, seeing as Emma was the only person she was seeing. Add on the make out sessions that would end one of their 'not really a date' dates , she figured she was only several steps away from asking the blonde to be her girlfriend.

It was always so easy with Emma, nothing like when she dated Tink Kendrick. With Tink she always had to be this plastic barbie doll, heaven forbid she tried to pick her up on Chip, the girl would probably faint. Emma surprised her at every turn, and they started realizing how much they really have in common.

"Still caught up in your little dancer girl?" Zelena invited herself into Regina's room.

"What do you want?" Regina groaned, looking for something to wear.

"I want details little sis. I need to know what has captured you attention so much, and so does mom." Zelena threw out the last part, knowing it was going to catch her sister's attention.

"What?! Did you tell her? I should have known you couldn't be trusted with one little secret!" Regina turned to glare at the red head.

"You wound me. I haven't told her anything but you have finally stopped moping around the house and you leave every other night with your super secret plans, it was only a matter of time before she figured out something was going on." Zelena pointed out.

"She hasn't figured out anything then. She just assumes that someone has caught my eye, for all she knows I could be getting back together with Tink." Regina retorted.

"You wouldn't be a Mills if you did that. That harlot doesn't deserve the likes of you, spreading her legs easier than I can't believe its not Butter!" Zelena's face was flush by the time she had finished, she never liked Tink but it seemed to grow to hate when the blonde cheated on her sister.

"You have always had a way with words." Regina snorted.

"Whatever so are you going to tell me what is so special about this girl that you keep going all out for? Is she even your girlfriend?" Zelena crossed her arms and looked at the younger girl impatiently.

"I just like her, can you accept that? She's sweet and shy but she also has a very devious side. Just the other day we were together and things were getting carried away. She was the aggressor but as soon I as had got into it, she ended the whole thing! I can have an intelligent conversation with her about politics or whatever, and she doesn't get all butt hurt if our views don't match up. She just shrugs it off. She simple, she doesn't expect a lot from me. She told me she just wants my company but I want to do all of these things for her." Regina waved her hands wildly before running them through her hair.

"Oh ho ho, she has got you whipped!" Zelena's accent came out with her amusement.

"Go find a cock and choke on it." Regina deadpanned at the redhead who howled with laughter.

"I never remember you being this crude before I left. So who was it that tainted my sweet little sister?" Zelena's eyes were twinkling, and Regina could see her sister found this all hilarious.

"That, is none of your business. Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to. " Regina smirked, watching her sister blanch in color.

* * *

Emma had been laying down in her bed, listening to music when a soft knock sounded on the pane. She wasn't aloud to close her door since she returned unless she was changing. Her father said she would have to earn that trust and privilege back. Katherine was out with her friends for the day, so she stiffened wondering who was on the other side of that door. Turning over she caught her mother's eye, and let out a breath of relief. She didn't know whether it was right to call Ingrid the lesser of two evils, because she had always been a Mommy's girl. So when her mother just stood by and watched her be shipped halfway across the country without batting an eye lash, it struck something in Emma.

"May I come in?" Ingrid asked softly.

"You're going to come in regardless, whether I say yes or no. So why don't we skip the pleasantries, Mother dearest." Emma simply stared at the woman who birthed her.

"Emma, I understand your anger and frustrations. I just wish you would let me in. We used to be able to talk about everything." Ingrid frowned, sitting on the edge of Emma's bed.

"That was before you did this to me." Emma glared down at her hands.

"You won't tell me what was so wrong about that camp. From what I can see it helped you control those urges." Ingrid replied

"You can't fix someone, Mother. You can just find ways of making them fearful. I expected nothing less than disapproval from Phoebus because that's all I've ever been to him, a disappointment. But you, I thought you would be a mother for once and stick up to him for me. No, you were a good little dog who rolled over so he could rub your belly! You make me sick, you're fucking pathetic!" Emma hissed.

"No wait a minute young lady." Ingrid warned.

"Who the hell gets back into a relationship with someone who cheated on them multiple times, who fathered another child out of their marriage? You let me be treated like the bastard child all my life." Emma spat

"Emmalyn, where is this coming from?" Ingrid looked at her daughter appalled.

"It's coming from me! And you and your damn husband! I wonder what Papa would say if I told him all the things you agreed to let happen to me at that camp. How many times you practically signed off my life, signed waivers saying you agreed to the deplorable conditions in the sake of _fixing_ me!"

"You're angry." Ingrid nodded.

"No shit Sherlock! I'm not just angry, I hate you. I fucking hate you and the air that you breath. I wish that Phoebus just staid with Esmeralda, who he visits every weekend, probably to bang her brains out! I wish you would have just went and sterilized yourself because you didn't deserve to have kids. You're not a mother, you're too weak." Emma sneered.

"Emma, regardless of everything that happened. I do love you, with everything that I am. I hope you believe that." Ingrid's eyes were stinging as she got up from the bed and walked to the door. She was desperate to get away from her daughter and the anger the girl harbored for them all.

"I used to." Emma whispered softly, but Ingrid heard it. She waited until she was down the hall to finally let her tears fall. Going into her entertainment area, she opened a bottle of expensive Vodka, knowing that wine wasn't going to be able to take the edge off today.

Alcohol had become her only solace, the burning in her throat helped to distract from the pain in her chest. It dulled her senses, she no longer had to be aware of everything that was going on in her home. Normally by her third drink she could ignore that her husband was probably cheating on her with his ex, she could ignore that her oldest daughter wasn't speaking to her and looked at her with nothing but disdain since she found out what they did. She could ignore the normal silence that followed because a younger Emma wasn't in the house, running around causing havoc. However now her daughter was older, she had come home for the first time in two years full of so much hate for everything but dance.

She supposed she could blame nobody but herself because just like Katherine said, she had been saving her marriage using the skin off of Emma's back since before the girl was born. She knew that Phoebus wasn't going to leave her once her pregnancy came out in the open, just like she knew he had a toddler running around out their with another woman. She used him and she used Emma, with the end result damaging her child.

"Isn't it a little early to be breaking out the hard stuff?" Phoebus came in with his tie undone, purple lipstick smeared on his neck. He never bothered to hide it anymore, not that he had done a good job to begin with.

"I want a divorce." She glared at him, watching his mouth drop open.

"What?!" He sputtered.

"I want a divorce, I'll have my lawyer draw up the paper work." Ingrid licked her lips, before tossing back the rest of her drink.

"Are you drunk?" He scoffed, not taking her serious but the inside of his palms were sweating.

"No, I'm being serious right now. I'll make sure he knows that your common law wife and love child will cease to be living off the money that me and my parents worked for. I'm finished with you." Ingrid chuckled, thinking about how easy it was to do this.

"Ingrid honey, did something happen?" He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Yes, I let you destroy our family, our daughter and I refuse to sit by and do nothing any longer." Ingrid gritted out.

"So this is about Emmalyn, what has the girl done now?" Phoebus sighed heavily, watching Ingrid pour herself another drink.

"Did you know _our_ daughter hates us? She hates us, for what we did. What we allowed to happen to her at that camp. She doesn't speak about it, and it makes me wonder. What did they do to my baby, she was always so chatty as a child now she barely speaks. She acts like a guest in her own home, walking around on egg shells trying to please us- to please you. And I allowed it."Ingrid brought the glass to her lips but she didn't drink from it.

"Ingrid-" Phoebus began to loose his patience with the conversation.

"No, I want to know why you hate our daughter. Why you have played favorites with all of your children. What has Emma done to you?" Ingrid set the glass down.

"I don't hate my daughter!" Phoebus turned to glare at his wife.

"Which one? You shower Katherine and Maleficent with love an affection but Emma gets treated like the evil step child? You never praise her, you've never gone to a recital or a competition. You've never been to a parent teachers conference or a doctors appointment. I've practically been a single mother when it came to her!" Ingrid hissed, rising from the couch. Neither noticed Emma at the door frame.

"That's your own damn fault! I told you I didn't want anymore kids, but you had to go out and trap me! You knew I was going to file for divorce years ago, so you went and got yourself knocked up!" Phoebus admitted before he blanched of color.

"Ingrid I didn't mean that-" He started to apologize but was cut off by her laughter.

"Yes you did. You've done everything you could to break that girl, your own flesh and blood simply because you didn't have the balls to ask for a divorce after I had gotten pregnant with her? Let me guess my father had something to do with it? Did he threaten to cut you off from the family funds threaten to black list you? You have gotten far to comfortable with the lifestyle _my_ family has afforded you." Ingrid sneered.

"We can talk about this when you're sober." Phoebus tried to dismiss her.

"No we can talk about it now! I was sober when my daughter told me she hated the air that I breath! Because I listened to you! Because I sat by and allowed you to treat her like shit. She called herself the Bastard child when its really should be Mal, you know the kid you shower with everything! You've never even bought Emma a birthday present! Every year I had to, and I put your name on it so she would think her daddy cared about her! But you don't!" Ingrid was crying by now, unknowingly mirroring her daughter's expression from where she stood taking in the argument.

"Emma knows I only want the best for her. She has always been under you, I can't help it Katherine and Maleficent are under me the same way." Phoebus tried to argue.

"You've never been the one to tell her you love her. Its always 'Me too, or back at you Kid' whenever she would tell you. She told me that when she was twelve, and I just didn't want to believe it." Ingrid shook her head.

"You're being dramatic." Phoebus rolled his eyes.

"You are so fucking unbelievable." Emma scoffed wetly, watching her parent's whip around to face her.

"Emma, what are you doing eavesdropping? Have we taught you nothing in tact and manners?" Phoebus asked defensively

"In case you missed what she has been trying to get through your head, you never taught me anything." Emma spat before rushing out of the room.

"Look what you did." Phoebus glared at Ingrid who simply snorted

"No dear, that is all your doing." Ingrid replied before hearing the front door slam.

* * *

Regina had been laying down in the den with her mother relaxing, while the older woman was looking through new competition dresses for her, when her phone buzzed in her pocket.

 **R u Busy?-** Was the text she got from Emma. It made her smile when she thought about them hanging out if the blonde was able to get away from her parents. Her mother immediately noticed the smile and watched as Regina's fingers danced along the screen of her phone.

 **No, your just saving me from my moms frantic dress shopping-** Regina replied

 **I was wondering if you could do the saving right now...** Emma's text came after a minute or so of Regina waiting. She frowned as she re-read the text several times.

 **Is everything okay?- R**

 **No, can you come pick me up?- E**

 **Wer R u?- R**. The brunette text immediately when she read what the blonde had sent her.

"Is everything okay, darling?" Cora put down the IPad, to look at her youngest.

"I'm not sure." Regina admitted, waiting for Emma's response. She was already sitting up, looking around for her shoes she had kicked off.

"Does this have something to do with that girl you keep running off to meet?" Cora raised an eyebrow, unknowingly adding to Regina's frustrations.

"Yes Mother!" Regina snapped taking Cora off guard.

"Are you two having an argument?" Cora questioned.

"No...somethings wrong with her. She asked me to come pick her up." Regina bit her bottom lip, watching her phone. Five minutes had passed by and still no response from the blonde.

"Do you think she may be in trouble?" Cora asked.

"No...I don't know, maybe? Her parents are assholes, they sent her to one of those camps to be fixed. She has been cautious since coming back." Regina admitted.

"To be fixed? What kind of uncivilized people are they?" Cora asked appalled but Regina had just gotten a text from Emma.

 **Hideaway- E**

Regina let out a sigh of relief knowing Emma was at the theater in her hideaway room. Still knowing something had upset her, had Regina on edge.

 **On my way- R**

"I gotta go." Regina told her mother before she hopped up from the couch.

"Regina!" Cora called after her.

"What?!" Regina whined

"Bring her back here, I'd like to meet her." Cora raised an eyebrow at her daughters antics

"I don't think she'll be up for that, especially if she got into it with her parents. Soon though, I promise." Regina vowed before rushing out the door.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six- Earned it**

 **So I love when you call unexpected,**

Regina didn't know what to expect as she climb the stairs leading into Emma's private room. She knew the blonde wasn't going to be in the main portion that held her small dancing studio and all of the tracks and costumes for upcoming shows, so instead she walked over to the corner and pushed firmly on the hide away wall. Whatever she was expecting, it certainly wasn't Emma sitting down on the small platform bed with a bottle of Grey Goose Vodka.

"Emma what's going on?" Regina stepped into the room before closing the door behind her.

"Do your parents love you? Like really really love you, as a person?" Emma asked bringing the bottle up to her lips. Her speech wasn't slurred, letting Regina know she had either just gotten started or she was only taking tentative sips.

"Yeah I suppose they do." Regina walked over and grabbed the bottle from her, taking a huge swig before walking it over to the hidden wet bar. Turning back, she wasn't prepared to deal with Emma's glassy eyes.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Regina asked, leaning back against the bar. She watched Emma shake her head no, before the younger girl pushed herself up and slowly walk over to her.

"I just want to forget." Emma said softly.

"Darling-" Regina's protest was cut off by Emma pressing their lips together gently. Regina gasped at the contact, and Emma pressed forward to deepen the kiss. Nibbling softly on Regina's plump bottom lip, she allowed her hands to take purchase on Regina's hips. Bringing the brunette closer to her, she used one hand to grab at Regina's ass before the other snaked its way underneath the girls shirt.

"Emma!" Regina broke away, but the blonde just trailed her lips down her neck biting at the flesh there occasionally before soothing it with her tongue.

"Emma...Emma stop!" Regina pushed gently on Emma's chest and the blonde shot away from her like a bullet. Regina closed her eyes, trying to stop from panting and trying to control her raging hormones.

"I thought that's what you wanted." Emma sounded so broken, and it had Regina immediately trying to sooth her.

"Darling, you won't even let me take you out on a date. But now you're ready to jump in the sack with me?" Regina ran a hand through her hair, trying to contain her frustrations.

"I'm sorry." Emma wrapped her arms around herself before turning away from Regina.

"I didn't come here to fuck you, I came here because I care about you. Like truly care about you, and you sounded upset." Regina huffed.

"My dad admitted that he basically hates me. I guess I just wanted to be around someone that cares about me as much as I care about them." Emma admitted.

"I'm sure he doesn't hate you." Regina wrapped her arms around Emma from behind.

"Yes he does. He doesn't care about what they did to me at that camp. He blames me for keeping him trapped in a relationship with my mom. The funniest thing about it is that I think I knew from the beginning. He never wanted to be around me, when I was six he had gone as far as DNA testing me to see if I was really his kid. I had never seen my mom so pissed. I never went away with him on a weekend like either of my sisters, something would always come up. He never showed to my daddy daughter dance, he was never there for me until he found out I like girls." Emma shook her head, before leaning back into Regina's embrace

"I don't know what to say..." Regina was at loss for words, having not known how bad it had gotten between the blonde and her father.

"And here I thought you were the charmer." Emma replied sarcastically before shaking her head.

"You just being here is enough. You make me feel like I'm enough." Emma turned around to face Regina head on.

"You are enough. I know it might be a little too early to say this but to me you are everything. Just thinking about you can turn around my day. Ever since you crashed into me on that sidewalk, I've been happier than I have been in a long time. Even my mother has noticed." Regina rolled her eyes.

"Your parents sound amazing. Your whole family dynamic. For so long it was just me, Kat and occasional Mal but then they left to go to college and I was by myself until Lily-" Emma stopped abruptly.

"Who is Lily?" Regina mumbled, having a feeling like she already knew the answer.

"Just an ex. The reason I got sent away to begin with." Emma tried to wave it off.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Regina asked, leading Emma back over towards the platform bed.

"She was the first girl I openly admitted to liking. We got caught in my room by my father and she promised to be there for me. I spent a year and a half waiting for a letter or anything that showed that she cared about me. The last six months in that camp I just gave up on her. When I got out, I went to go see her but she had moved on." Emma shrugged.

"She hurt you." Regina pointed it out, as they laid back, intertwined with one another.

"I mean I guess. It made me reluctant about relationships or whatever." Emma replied

"Is that why you refuse to go out with me?" Regina asked, playing with Emma's hair.

"You haven't asked me out since that first time. At least not for a date." Emma reminded her.

"...Emma Alissa Swan, will you go out with me. On a date-date?" Regina asked, laying her top half over Emma's.

"Just a date?" Emma asked raising an eyebrow.

"Do you want more?" Regina's voice was soft, as she searched green eyes for an answer.

"I want to be able to tell people that I'm gay, and that you're my girl. " Emma admitted, pushing back Regina's hair from her face. She listened to Regina's breath hitch, before the brunette launched herself at her. Lips met in a teeth clattering kiss, as Regina dominated Emma's mouth for a few moments before pulling away.

"So not only did I manage to take you off the market, but I also pushed you out of that closet you were hiding in?" Regina teased, watching Emma roll her eyes.

"Yeah Yeah, laugh it up! For the record, I was off the market since you first asked me out. I just wanted to see if you really wanted me." Emma admitted and was rewarded with several quick pecks.

"I wanted you since your clumsy ass crashed into me on the sidewalk." Regina whispered, nipping at Emma's chin.

"Stop it, before you work me up!" Emma growled, flipping their positions. Regina settled back into the small bed, one arm snaking its way around Emma's waist as they just enjoyed each others company.

"Do you need a ride back home?" Regina asked, watching Emma furrow her eyebrows.

"I'm not going back." Emma's tone was firm as she shook her head.

"Well where are you going to go? My mother wants to meet you, and I'm sure you can crash in our guest room." Regina offered.

"Your mother wants to meet me? And no thanks. I'm just going to crash here for tonight and then head over to my grandparents." Emma politely declined

"Yeah, she asked me to bring you by and I said maybe another time. I didn't think you be up to the interrogation today." Regina buried her nose into Emma's hair.

"Maybe in a couple of weeks. I honestly don't want you to meet my family. You've met Kat, I don't really talk to Mal enough for her to matter this early on, and I'm sure you can meet my grandparents the same week I meet your mom." Emma rambled off.

"Whatever you think is best." Regina hummed, her eyes fluttering every now and again signalizing her tiredness

"Are you going to stay with me tonight?" Emma looked up at her after hearing the brunette yawn lightly.

"Do you want me to stay here?" Regina asked meeting her gaze.

"Yeah more than anything else I just want to lay with you tonight. I just don't want to get you in trouble with your parents." Emma frowned.

"It's not going to be a problem, I promise. Now rest your eyes, love." Regina ran her hand through blonde locks, gently smoothing out the tangles. She kept up this until she heard Emma's breathing even out and the blonde's light snores. Pulling out her phone she shot a text to her mother.

" **I'll be home tomorrow. Love you xoxo" - Regina**

" **Bring her by for breakfast tomorrow. That's not a suggestion."- Cora**

" **I make no promises." -Regina**

" **Good because I wasn't asking for one. I'll make pancakes and some other stuff. I'll even be on my best behavior. I want to meet the girl who has your head in the clouds"- Your Mother**

" **Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"- Queen Zee**

Regina frowned when she read her sister's text message but figured her mother probably told her, that Regina was staying with the blonde for the night. Sighing deeply when she looked down at Emma. Blonde curls halo around her face, her nose was scrunched up slightly and her pale pink lips were set in a pout. Regina couldn't stop herself from reaching down to peck her girlfriends. Shit, she had a girlfriend!

"mmm" Emma moaned slightly at the pressure on her mouth but seemingly returned it even in her sleep.

"Gina..?" Emma whispered as Regina held onto her tighter. This was an unusual position for her, she had only done this once with Tink and she had been the little spoon. The whole situation was uncomfortable and she couldn't wait to leave Tink's arms but with Emma she found herself holding on tighter.

"Shhsshh my love." Regina whispered into curly locks before closing her eyes.

It could have been the knee firmly pressed into her crotch, or the hand slight massaging her left breast that woke her up but she was content with blaming Emma's sister for ruining the best night of sleep she had gotten in a long time.

"Emma?!" Kat screamed from just outside the door, startling both teens awake.

"Is that?" Emma whined, rubbing her eyes like a sleepy toddler would.

"Your sister, dear." Regina frowned running her hand through her hair to try and tame the beast.

"Emma? Oh thank god!" Kat let out a sigh of relief.

"Kat what are you doing here?" Emma yawned, stretching out.

"You never came home last night and this morning mom told me about what happened. She's a mess right now." Kathryn frowned when she saw Regina but it quickly turned into a slight smirk.

"Yeah, she told Phoebus she wants a divorce last night. I think he was more angry that she's cutting off him and his second family from her money." Emma pulled her knees into her chest as she sat up completely. She could tell Regina was still tired, because the brunette laid her head down on her shoulder.

"What?! Did she say why?" Kathryn's eyes widen

"That's something your going to have to ask your mother Kathryn. I'm heading over to Papa and Nana's today." Emma replied, throwing her long blonde hair into a messy bun.

"Okay, when are you coming home so Mom can stop bawling her eyes out?" Kathryn questioned, a feeling of dread filled her stomach when Emma looked down at her hands not replying.

"Emma?" Kat called out to her

"I'm not going back, I can't I'm sorry." Emma shook her head.

"Em, with dad out the house it shouldn't be that bad anymore." Kathryn said softly

"Ingrid is just as bad, and we both know it. To me she's worse. She was always there trying to build me up after he tore me down but she never told him to stop. She never believed me when I said he didn't love me, she told me to just try harder to impress him. She didn't tell him not to send me to that place even after I begged her. She didn't write or come visit me because Phoebus told her not to. Can you imagine,...being in a place where every half an hour you go through some form of corrective therapy? Everybody had someone on the outside that was helping them get through everything, except me. You didn't call or write me either. You were so busy with school you didn't even know until it was too late." By now the younger blonde was crying so hard that her chest hurt.

Regina glared at Kathryn before turning to embrace her girlfriend.

"My love, it's okay. Everything is going to be okay." Regina pulled the blonde to where she was sitting in her lap.

"No its not!" Emma sobbed but clung onto the brunette as if she was her life line.

It had taken her twenty minutes to get Emma to calm down, before the blonde trudged off to get ready to head over to her grandparents home.

"I'm glad she has someone like you. She was right when she said I was too worried about my own shit to wonder why I hadn't spoken to my sister in over fourteen months." Kathryn swallowed as she approached Regina.

"I'm lucky to have her also. My parents...they aren't like yours but they also thought that this was just a phase. It didn't help my case when I started going out with my ex. However since being around with Emma they know that this is who I am. They realize and accept me. I guess we're lucky to have each other." Regina shrugged, slipping on her shoes.

"I wish my mother and father were the same way. She says she doesn't want it, but really she craves their approval. After not getting it for seventeen years, it can grate at a persons views of their self worth." Kathryn said softly when Emma came out in a over sized sweater and leggings.

"You ready to go?" Emma asked Regina whose phone went off.

"Shit its my mother." Regina exhaled deeply when she saw the text message reminding her to bring Emma over.

"What does she want?" Emma questioned popping in a piece of Winter Fresh gum into her mouth.

"Shes demanding I bring you over for breakfast. I mean you don't have to come if you don't want to-" Regina's rambling was cut off by Emma pressing a firm but quick kiss to her mouth.

"What's she cooking?" Emma offered her a dimpled cheek smile.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven- Earned it**

 **Cause I hate when the moment's expected,**

Unfortunately for Emma, going to visit Regina's family meant she was going to have to go home and change if she wanted to look presentable. Plus it would give her the opportunity to grab somethings that she wouldn't have at her grandparents. So Regina and her followed Kathryn to her parents home, as the younger blonde tried and unsuccessfully avoided her mother.

"EMMA?!" Ingrid came rushing down the stairs as soon as she heard the key inside the lock, and Emma braced herself to deal with the room.

"Hello Mother." Emma responded coolly as she tried to walk around Ingrid.

"Where have you been? I was worried sick! Who is this?" Ingrid questioned her daughter as her panic started to die down.

"You're worried about me now? Maybe you should have been worried about me two years ago." Emma muttered, but Ingrid heard her.

"I've always been worried about you and I always will! I know it doesn't seem like it right now but I do love you Emma, and I only have your best interest at heart." Ingrid frowned, hugging herself tightly.

"I didn't come here to deal with this." Emma scoffed, pushing her way passed her mother.

"EMMA! We aren't done talking young lady!" Ingrid followed after her.

"Yes we are! You don't have to worry about your dyke daughter anymore, I'm leaving!" Emma hissed, missing the way her mother flinched at the crude words.

"Where are you going to go? You're still a minor which means you have to do as I say!" Ingrid protested

"I'm staying with Nana and Papa, and since you are still living off their money you have to do what they say." Emma shot back, shoving clothes into her suitcase that was empty in the back of her closet.

"You called your grandparents?" Ingrid blanched in color as she thought of her own fathers reaction to whatever Emma had informed him.

"Yes, and they wanted me to tell you they are very disappointed in you. But you'll probably hear more about that whenever they decide to drop by in the next couple of hours." Emma sniffed, looking around her room before walking over to her vanity. Packing away her makeup, she grabbed her dance shoes from the bottom drawer, along with the first three leotards her hands touched.

"Emma please don't do this." Ingrid pleaded.

"You know, that was exactly what I said to you when I begged you to talk to Phoebus. You just looked away." Emma scoffed again, watching as tears filled her mothers eyes.

"Yes, and I have regretted that everyday since! I'm asking, as your mother, for you to give me a chance to make this right."Ingrid blinked away her tears trying to say strong. Emma could see the woman Ingrid once was, staring back at her.

"If you want to make this right, you start by letting me go." Emma swallowed deeply, turning away from the older woman to continue packing her things.

"If there was one thing that I regret, it would be not getting you away from him sooner."Ingrid said softly.

"Don't you see! I always knew what to expect from him, he was always the same from day one! It was you, you were the one who changed up. You were supposed to be on my side, you were supposed to stick up for me. Instead you used me as a scapegoat to have a reason for you failed marriage. I don't just blame him, I blame you too." Emma shook her head before grabbing her suitcase and rolling it out of the room. She could hear Kathryn entertaining Regina as she descended the stairs.

"Yeah, so she wasn't content playing the tree, so in the middle of the play she got up and started dancing on her own. I think that's when my mom decided to put her into dance classes." Kathryn explained, as Regina eyed a phone on the mantel.

"Yes well, she was a very cute tree." Regina smirked.

"Please, I was a snotty nosed four year old." Emma joined in, as Regina walked over to help her with the bag.

"Is this everything?" Regina asked in an uncertain tone.

"No, its just some basic stuff to get me by until I go shopping with my grandmother. I don't really fit the same clothes from when I was fifteen anymore." Emma explained.

"Your mother hasn't bought you clothes in two years?" Regina frowned.

" I haven't lived here in two years." Emma replied watching a flicker of acknowledgment flash in her girlfriends eyes.

"Words can't describe how angry all of this makes me. Had I known you two years ago, none of this would have happened, of that I am certain." Regina spoke through gritted teeth.

"How do you figure?" Emma questioned

"Because my mother is the best lawyer on the whole freaking East Coast." Regina sassed, watching a light bulb go off in Emma's head.

"Yes well, no use in saying what if." Emma grabbed Regina by the hand as they exited the Midas home with Kathryn trailing behind them.

"So where to now?" Kathryn cleared her throat.

"To Nana's and then to Regina's parents I guess. If we hurry I might be able to sneak in a quick shower." Emma grinned as her girlfriend put her suitcase into the back of her Mercedes.

* * *

"This is your grandparents place?" Regina's jaw dropped as she pulled up into the gated property. Immediately her car was flanked by three armed security guards but Emma leaned over to her.

"Yeah this is ." Emma muttered into Regina's ear before turning towards the guard.

"Jeff get that gun out of my girlfriends face before I kick your ass!" Emma hollered, ignoring Kathryn's howling laughter as the demand was swiftly met.

"Emmalyn, how wonderful to see you." Jeff responded sarcastically, but signaled for the gate to be open.

"This is some serious shit. What did you say your grandparents do again?" Regina gasped as she drove slowly into the property. She came from money and a lot of it but it seemed Emma came from royalty.

"I didn't, but they are into the whole gold trade. Amarnath Midas owns around 73% of the US's gold trade, and about thirteen of the international." Emma sniffed, trying to feign indifference.

"Don't forget his blood diamond project!" Kathryn offered ignoring Emma's glare.

"There's that too." Emma said stiffly, as Regina pulled around the massive water fountain and near the front door.

"This is crazy. I've only ever seen stuff like this when I visited my uncle in the Bronx's. He had damn near a whole street as his home." Regina admitted killing the engine.

"I have to warn you...they can be a bit-" Emma trailed off

"ECCENTRIC!" Kat shouted from the back seat.

"What she said." Emma agreed.

"I think I can deal with eccentric. Just relax, darling." Regina pressed a sweet but quick kiss to the blonde's lips, watching the girls eyes flutter for a second.

"Relax, I am relaxed." Emma smiled as her grandmother came rushing out of the door while also looking gracefully.

"Katie! Emma! My loves!" The woman voice was thick with an accent that Regina couldn't place. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, was that dutch? The woman had bright red hair and fiery green eyes, they were the same eyes that Emma had so immediately any nervousness that she had previously had dissipated.

"Hey Nana!" Kathryn was immediately engulfed in a big hug from her grandmother and the woman's big bushy hair had blocked both of their faces for a moment.

"My offer still stands. We have all of these rooms to fill." The woman reminded Kathryn who smiled sheepishly.

"Yeah I just can't right now. We'll talk about it later, Nans" Kathryn ducked around her the rush into the massive home.

"Hello, my name is Merida since my granddaughter is being so rude as to not introduce us." Merida gave Regina a warm smile that reminded her of cookies and those peppermints that your grandparents gave you but you never really wanted.

"Mer, this is my girlfriend Regina. Regina this is my grandmother." Emma rolled her eyes at the red heads cheeky answer.

"It's nice to meet you. Your home is lovely." Regina complimented

"Thank you, My Dear. However I'm sure its nothing you are used to with that house up in the Hampton's." Merida smiled, watching Regina for a reaction.

"Did you Google my girlfriend?" Emma raised an eyebrow at her grandmothers antics

"No love, Google wouldn't have given me anything besides the generic information. I had your cousin look into her." Merida waved off the idea of googling the teen, as Emma's jaw dropped.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Regina responded to the jest.

"Of course, it was all very interesting but what I must say is that the way you wear Valentino could put anyone to shame. Are you planning on continuing pageants or modeling ?" Merida grabbed Regina by the arm, leading the girl into the home.

"I want to go to law school. My mother is the reason I still do pageants." Regina replied

"Emmalyn, I went out and got you some things to wear. Why don't you gave have a shower while I speak to this lovely young lady?" Her grandmother shooed her off. As much as she didn't want to leave, she knew that this was the only time she would be able to get in her shower before Regina's parents were expecting them. Rushing upstairs she took a left and booked it down the hall to the room she had claimed since she was four years old. There were bags of clothes piled on the bed and at least ten shoe boxes on the floor, but Emma skipped them over for now in favor of stripping off her clothes and rushing to the bathroom.

Washing her hair in a tropical breeze shampoo that she had been obsessed with for the past eight years. Followed by a coconut body wash, she quickly shaved and rinsed off before hopping out of the shower. Emma didn't even bother with a towl as she rushed to find something to put on. Settling for a pair of boyfriend style jeans that were ripped going up both legs, she popped off the tag before pairing it with a white blouse and a black blazer. Grabbing her black gladiator sandals and began descending the stairs.

She didn't expect to see her grandmother and her girlfriend so simpatico, Merida hardly liked anybody that wasn't blood related to her.

"What's going on?" Emma asked braiding her hair to the side.

"Honestly Emma, you have a blow dryer." Merida chastised

"Says the woman with incredibly bushy hair. We have to go to her parents for breakfast, I don't have an hour and a half to waste blow drying my hair." Emma rolled her eyes.

"She's right, my mother is expecting us in twenty minutes." Regina frowned rising from her chair.

"Well I enjoyed getting to know you Regina, feel free to stop by anytime." Merida smiled as she walked the girls out.

"See you later Nana." Emma said softly while hugging the redheaded woman who didn't want to let go.

"See you soon, my sweet girl. When you get back we have some things to discuss, but for now I want you to enjoy yourself and not worry about my hardheaded daughter and that no good bastard. I love you." Merida kissed both of Emma's cheeks.

"I love you too!" Emma waved to the woman before rushing down the steps and sliding into Regina's car.

"We're off to your mothers." Emma cringed slightly, suddenly her nerves starting to set in.

"Don't be so nervous, she's gonna eat you alive!" Regina grinned wildly at her girlfriend, watching the blonde groan before she slouched in her seat.

* * *

"You ready for this?" Regina looked at a pale Emma who was fidgeting on her front stoop.

"Even if I'm not, we're here now." Emma sighed and shook her head.

"If you don't want to do this, we can go catch a bite a Granny's. I don't want you to feel pressured." Regina took two steps towards Emma before lacing their hands together.

"No I want to I just-" Emma stopped suddenly.

"You just what? Talk to me, my love." Regina squeezed Emma's hand for support.

"Can I get a kiss?" Emma asked shyly, watching Regina smile before she complied. The kiss quickly turned heated when Emma ran her tongue along Regina's body lip, and her hands found purchase on the brunette's waist.

"Are they gonna fuck on the porch?" They broke apart when they heard Regina's sister's shrill voice.

"Zelena! You have absolutely no tact! Now they probably heard you!" Cora's voice was slightly louder than that of her daughter's

"Me?! You might as well have a Megaphone with how big your mouth is! I swear you can't even talk in a regular voice!" Zelena scoffed.

"Ladies..." Henry's tried to interrupt

"A megaphone? No darling that is most certainly you with your vulgar language. Why you and you sister insist on being so crass is beyond me!" Cora argued.

"I'm crass because I said the word fuck? Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!" Zelena shouted as Regina began putting her key in the door.

"MY GOODNESS HENRY! Are you not going to speak with your child?" Cora asked appalled.

"Darling..." Henry tried to pull their attention to Emma and Regina who were standing in the door way looking amused.

"Don't you darling me! Fix her!" Cora pouted.

"What shall you have me do? Spank her? You do remember the time we did that when she was six, and she woke us up by hitting us with a belt saying we were bad for sleeping in so she was spanking us? Imagine her now, I'm not as young as I used to be! It took three weeks for those bruises to go away!" Henry protested.

"Are you guys really doing this right now?" Regina crossed her arms as she looked at her family.

"Regina! When did you get here?" Cora pressed a hand to her chest.

"Around the time Zelena asked if we were going to fuck on the porch." Regina admitted watching everyone blanch in color. The awkward tense silence was broken by Emma's stomach growling.

"So what's for breakfast?" The blushing blonde asked.

"Regina when was the last time you fed the girl? Come in here you poor darling, I have just what you need!" Cora cooed sweetly grabbing a Emma by the hand much like Merida did Regina.

"Do you eat eggs and pancakes?" Cora asked pulling out a plate to fix up a portion for Emma.

"I eat practically anything." Emma replied with a small smile.

"THAT would explain why she's with Regina!" Zelena smirked at Emma's embarrassment.

"We haven't- I uh" Emma's eyes flickered nervously and Regina saw red.

"Why don't you shut the hell up and go find some new peen to play with?" Regina asked coldly

"No need to get defensive, it was a harmless joke." Zelena frowned, putting her hands up in surrender

"Just grow up Zelena." Regina shook her head angrily while taking the plate from her mother to make Emma's portion herself. She gave the blonde a little of everything before making a matching one for herself.

"The Evil Queen has spoken." Zelena muttered, fixing her own plate. Once everyone had food and everything all set, that's when the conversation began.

"So Emmalyn is it? What are your intentions with my daughter?" Cora asked through a narrowed gaze catching Emma off guard as the blonde stammered for a response.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight- Earned it**

 **So Imma care for you you you,**

 _ **Previously**_

" _So Emmalyn is it? What are our intentions with my daughter? Cora asked through a narrow gaze, catching Emma off guard as the blonde stammered for a reply._

Emma tried hard to think of an answer as everyone waited for her to speak. Swallowing down a bite of strawberry, she struggled to get it pass the lump in her throat. She had never been good at public speaking, so to say she was nervous was an understatement. Moving her hands off the table, she wiped her sweaty palms while she stuttered..

"I um..I-I...I-" Emma blanched of color when she realized that she couldn't speak.

"You?" Cora prodded, watching the girl blush profusely as tears began to well up in her eyes.

"I'm sorry!" Emma quickly rose before anyone could object and practically ran out the room searching for the door.

"EMMA!" Regina called out after her, and it was only when she was pulled into her girlfriends arms that she realized how bad she was sobbing.

"I'm sorry, I-" Emma gave a shuddered breath as Regina cooed in her ear.

"I shouldn't have brought you here today, you have enough shit on your plate without the b.s of my family. I'm sorry." Regina apologized, frowning when she noticed how erratic the blonde's breathing was. Regardless of her crying, it still sounded labored.

"I- I wanted to meet them!" Emma protested in between gasps.

"My love, you have to calm down, okay? Just focus on me and my breathing, try to copy that." Regina held Emma's chin firmly until the blonde was able to breath steadily.

"My god, I'm such a mess." Emma scoffed wetly, happy she wasn't wearing much makeup.

"No your not, I should have told her to cool it with the questions. Let's just get out of here." Regina shook her head, grabbing her keys from the bowl by the door.

"Shouldn't we thank her for cooking." Emma asked nervously.

"I'll thank her later, come on." Regina spoke softly as she grabbed her girlfriends hand.

"Where are we going to go?" Emma sniffed as Regina held open the door for her.

"I was thinking the stables, but we aren't really dressed for that. How about a cinema?" Regina glanced over to the blonde as she pulled out of the driveway.

"Anywhere is fine, as long as we're together." Emma blushed when she realized how cheesy she sounded but didn't think about it too hard when Regina grinned at her with a goofy smile.

"Just a couple of weeks ago you were saying you weren't into me, look at us now." Regina switched lanes and signaled right to pull into the plaza. Parking her car, she met Emma on the other side and closed the door for her.

"You know I can open and close my own door, right?" Emma smiled as she walked in step with the girl.

"Yeah I know, but I like doing things like this for you." Regina shrugged, opening the door for Emma to walk in.

"Thank you." Emma replied as they walked up to the ticket counter. There was already a couple of groups of people waiting to buy their tickets, so Emma reached down and laced their fingers together.

"Well I see you bounce back quick, Mills" A dirty blonde haired teen walked towards them with another blonde trailing behind her.

"Yet not as quick as you." Regina flashed a fake smile, her hand squeezed Emma's as she tried to turn them away from the duo.

"I have to admit, your rebound is decent." Tink turned up her nose after she said it.

"Watch your mouth Kendrick, she means more to me than you ever could have. So just shut the hell up and go die in that hole you crawled out of." Regina spoke coolly, moving up a space in line as it started to diminish.

"As you can see, you're dating a world class bitch." Tink spoke this time to Emma.

"Hmm, I happen to like it." Emma smirked, feeling Regina chuckle next to her.

"Whatever." Tink scoffed as Emma turned away.

"You know the only reason she's with you is because she can't be with me right?" Tink through in one last jab.

"Are you serious right now?" Regina hissed turning around.

"Babe it's not that serious, just ignore her." Emma shrugged, to be honest she was surprised she wasn't having a reaction to the obviously jealous girl behind her.

"Yeah Babe." Tink mocked.

"Look I'm trying to save you from getting your ass kicked. Keep it up. She won't be the only one shoving their foot so far up your ass you'll be tasting Gucci for a week." Emma glared at the girl who was antagonizing her girlfriend.

"NEXT!" The guy at the ticket counter called out

"Come on that's us." Emma murmured, momentarily taking the lead as Regina was still far to angry to think right now.

"Can we have two IMAX tickets to Straight out of Compton, please?" Emma asked, going with the first movie she saw.

"That will be $42.93." He replied in a bored tone as Emma handed over her black card.

"I was going to pay." Regina sighed when she finally snapped out of her stupor.

"You can get the snacks and the drinks if it makes you feel better." Emma compromised as they walked over to concessions.

"Alright what do you want?" Regina asked as they looked up at the huge screens.

"Um pretzels and cheese with a Sprite." Emma replied her eyes narrowing at the screen.

"What's wrong?" Regina noticed the way her girlfriend tried to make herself taller.

"I'm supposed to wear either my glasses or contacts but I forgot them this morning." Emma explained.

"Something about you in glasses is really turning me on." Regina's lips quirked as she spoke.

"You're such a corn ball." Emma chuckled.

"Can I get a pretzel drink combo? Make the drink a Sprite and a cup of cheese on the side. And then let me have the nacho combo, same drink and cheese but add jalapenos and salsa. And can you get me two boxes of Mike and Ikes, the tropical kind. That's it." Regina turned to face a laughing Emma.

"What?" Regina grinned at the girls goofy nature.

"Are you hungry?" Emma asked, breathing heavy. Regina didn't want to point out that she was hungry because she had left last night before dinner to go see Emma and they left before breakfast so she hadn't ate in over sixteen hours.

"Starving." Regina replied, paying for the 37 dollar snacks. They quickly made their way into the theater and started chowing down. Emma had finished her pretzels only minutes after Regina had inhaled her nachos.

"What is this movie about?" Regina questioned.

"I dunno, I wasn't really planning on watching it." Emma shrugged, rinsing out her mouth with sprite before popping in a piece of gum.

"Well why'd you choose it then? We could have gone to see Home, it looks cute." Regina whispered as the lights lowered.

"Because I wanted to be able to do this." Emma leaned over and attached their lips together, swiping her tongue pass Regina's lips she was immediately granted access.

"I see." Regina purred, moving the armrest that separated the large red recliner seats and she brought Emma closer to her. They were all the way up top in the back corner of the theater, giving them the privacy they craved. Their kissing never grew frantic or even heated, they were slow and so full of love instead of want as Emma slipped her hand under Regina's shirt to ghost her finger's across the woman's smooth stomach. It wasn't until the lights came back on that they broke away with Regina handing Emma a tissue to wipe away the red lipstick from her lips.

"Let's get out of here, I kind of want some real food now." Regina stretched her tired body out as Emma's eyes roamed her figure hungrily. It wasn't until they got back into Regina car that Emma remembered to ask her about the girl.

"So who was that girl from earlier?" Emma asked, putting on her seat belt.

"Just some nobody." Regina sniffed, adjusting her mirrors trying to seem nonchalant.

"I'm sure she'll disagree." Emma bit down on her tongue to keep from calling Regina out on her lie.

"She's just an ex. We broke up after she cheated on me with girl she was with today." Regina bit out, not liking the topic at all.

"That doesn't sound like a nobody. She sounds like an idiot." Emma rolled her eyes.

"I see no reason as to why she can't be both." Regina smirked.

"You are just full of jokes today aren't you." Emma turned, as pushed one of Regina's curls from her face.

"...I can't explain how much I like you. Like really really like you! I don't want you to take anything that she said to heart. We had broken up long before you even tried to make me one with the side walk." Regina ranted

"Regina..." Emma tried to interrupt her

"So for her to say that is utterly ridiculous. I wanted you from the moment I saw you and it had absolutely nothing to do with Tink Kendrick." Regina spat the girl's name.

"Regina..." Emma tried again.

"I mean like have you seen you? You could come out in a potato sack and I'd be breathless. The sex with her wasn't even worth mentioning, I mean all that mouth and she doesn't know how to use her tongue." Regina scoffed, and looked over at Emma's beat red face.

"Too much?" Regina furrowed her eyebrows.

"It's that- you know never mind." Emma looked out the window as she started nibbling at her nails.

"Darling that's a bad habit, just tell me what's wrong." Regina said

"I'm a virgin." Emma admitted not expecting it when Regina hit the brakes at the information. Thankfully they both had on their seat belts.

"Regina what the hell!" Emma looked at a wide eye Regina.

"Your not pulling my leg are you?" Regina asked in a low tone.

"What?! No! I mean I've done stuff but never..." Emma trailed off again.

"My god, I think I want to marry you...Wait a minute, last night you were going to..." Regina pursed her lips to look at Emma.

"Your the only one I want to have it. The only person I feel that deserves it but I mean if it turns you off so much..." Emma squirmed uncomfortably in her seat.

"Are you kidding me? It doesn't turn me off in the slightest! We can cross that bridge when it comes to it but I would love to teach you anything you want to know. Just the thought of someone touching you how I wish I could curls my stomach, I'm jealous of the thought of someone even looking like they want to touch you." Regina assured the blonde

"You'll teach me how to please you...with my tongue?" Emma blushed but her tone was barely above a whisper.

"Whatever you want to know, when we are ready to take that step." Regina reiterated that it wasn't going to happen any time soon. Neither of them were ready to take that step despite the fact that Regina had been sexually active for three years.

"OK." Emma nodded watching Regina shift in her seat. " Are you okay?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows.

"I'm fine really, I got kind ….excited." Regina blushed.

"Are you wet?" Emma smirked.

"EMMA!" Regina exclaimed wide eyed

Regina walked into her house after dropping Emma off at her grandmother's house and she wasn't looking forward to seeing her mother.

"You've been ignoring my calls and text messages all day! I was worried about you!" Cora made her presence known as she walked up to Regina with a glass of wine.

"Yeah well I was busy. Can't use your phone when you're driving or in a movie." Regina responded, throwing her keys back into the bowl.

"To busy to text your mother to let her know you're okay?" Cora's voice raised slightly.

"You want to know the truth? I didn't want to speak with you! I told you not to try anything and yet you went and pushed anyways! God this is why I didn't want to bring her around you people!" Regina huffed.

"You people? We are your family, dear! Don't forget that!" Cora slammed her glass down.

"No you are all a bunch of assholes! The one time I actually like someone and want everything to work out, you go and screw it up! Don't ask about my life because from this moment on you will know nothing! I'll probably be married with kids before I ever bring her back here!" Regina bit out.

"You can see yourself marrying her? Regina you are barely nineteen!" Cora protested.

"...Goodnight mother." Regina locked her jaw as she glared at her mother before walking away.

"For what its worth darling, I didn't mean to make her upset. I honestly hope you believe that." Cora shook her head sadly.

 **AN: Sorry its been a while, good news is I'm coming into some free time very very soon! All reviews will be answered by Nasty Nikolo, so don't be startled lol. Let me know what you think :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine- Earned it.**

 **Yeahhh, Cause Girl you're Perfect**

Regina had opted on hiding out in her room the next morning and away from her mother. However she knew the older woman was like a dog with a bone, they don't stop until there is nothing left. She had wanted to hang out with Emma but their plans had been postponed because of a costume fitting that she had to be at for an upcoming musical. Ignoring the excessive knocking on the door, knowing that her mother wouldn't barge in she started to relax until that said door almost flew off of its hinges as it hit the wall. Small pieces of cement sprinkled down from where the door knob had knocked a piece of the wall free.

"I know you heard me knocking!" Zelena glared at her younger sister

"You broke my wall!"Regina exclaimed, slacked jawed. Then again she shouldn't have been too surprised. Zelena had absolutely no tact.

"Your wall would have been fine had you just answered your door! You need to stop hiding up here and come out into the real world Regina! Your mother is driving me insane!" Zelena practically cried in frustration.

"What is she doing? Because right now this sounds like a you problem, not a we problem." Regina grumbled, pulling out her phone to see if Emma had text her yet.

"She keeps asking me if I'm bringing someone by the house since you did! The lady just can't take a hint!" Zelena exhaled deeply.

"My advice is no, never bring anyone by the house until well after you are married with great grandchildren." Regina looked at her sister wide eyed with a serious expression.

"Come on, it wasn't that bad. However I do think that your girlfriend has a case of anxiety. She was extremely jump and could barely speak..." Zelena frowned.

"She just moved out of her parents house and into her grandmothers. Her father has pretty much blamed her for all of his life problems before shipping her off to some camp that was supposed to fix her. Like there is something wrong with being in love with someone of the same gender! He claims his religion doesn't support it yet he has been cheating on his wife and even has another kid out of that marriage! Funny how people can preach the bible yet live like they never opened it!" Regina rambled.

"So long story short, she had a lot of shit on her place and it just boiled over when Mom cornered her with all of those questions?" Zelena paused watching Regina nod.

"I don't really think you should be too mad at mom. She's just looking out for you. I don't think she pictured Emma getting too flustered to speak before running out. She felt like shit for the rest of the day, even more so when you ignored all those calls and texts." Zelena informed her but her little sister couldn't bring herself to care.

"I told her before I brought Emma over to play it cool, but instead she just jumps on the girl. She met Tink twice and never said more than three words to her!" Regina countered

"Well Emma isn't Tink. Tink never made you happy. The way you walk around with that smile that just takes over your face, every mother wants to meet the person that puts that smile on their child's face...you really like this girl don't you? Zelena asked, watching Regina ponder the question.

"I think I have since the moment she ran me over. There was just something about her in those couple of minutes that we spoke. Then I got to see her do something she's passionate about and it just sucked me in. She is honestly one of the most sweetest down to earth people that I have ever been around. I enjoy spending time with her." Regina shrugged, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"Sounds to me like you've been hit by cupids arrow. So when is the U-Haul wedding?" Zelena joked

"That isn't funny. She hasn't text me since earlier this morning." Regina noted with a deep pout set in.

"Please don't become one of those clingy girlfriends waiting on a text. In fact I refuse to see this happen. You and I are going shopping and to get mani pedi's . You are in dire need of one anyways." Zelena turned her nose up as she looked at Regina's nails.

"What if she text's while we're out?" Regina was close to saying no.

"My God, do you hear yourself?" Zelena huffed.

"You're right, I sound desperate... give me five minutes and I'll meet you down by your car." Regina caved.

"Hmm, don't forget to bring the black card and the gold!" Zelena hummed on her way out. Regina rolled her eyes before typing out a quick text.

 **-How's everything going?-**

Rushing to put on some shoes and a sweater, she slipped her wallet into a sling style purse and grabbed her phone before leaving. Still no text from Emma.

* * *

She had been poke with at least a dozen needles as she stood on the block getting pieces of the costume sew on so it was be in a particular spot on her body. Maleficent had been waiting her turn patiently but she was featured as the main character in this particular play so nobody was in too much of a rush to appease her.

"So I here Ingrid asked for a divorce..." Mal placed down her magazine as she looked at her younger sister

"You tend to hear a lot of things these days." Emma replied with an eye roll to boot.

"Dad came over my house last night crying. He said she's cutting him off from the money. My mom doesn't really care about that but he thinks she'll leave him if he's not rich." Mal continued

"If she had two brain cells to rub together she would leave him now. He is not a nice man in the slightest. I truly wonder who he is going to take his angry out on now that I am no longer an option." Emma muttered, knowing that the appointed seamstress was listening but she also knew Belle would never say anything.

"He really isn't that bad once you take the time to know him." Mal defended

"To you maybe...He's never been my father. He had made it perfectly clear where I stand with him, and how much he dislikes me. And you know, I think I'm okay with that." Emma responded, trying not to grow angry at the other girl's oblivious nature.

"He just want's the best for you. He tells my mom this all the time. He says you are the one that constantly pushes him away whenever he tries to get close to you. Whatever is going on with him and Ingrid really shouldn't affect you. It has been a long time coming and we all know this." Mal spoke like she knew everything, and it was her tone that set Emma off.

"You don't know shit! He sent me away because I'm gay! I truly wonder what he would say if he knew the 'Jack' you always talk about is actually Jacqueline! He doesn't love me or want the best for me! He never wanted to spend time with me! That was only reserved for you and Kathryn! He feels that I am the reason he was trapped in his marriage and he took it out on me everyday for fucking seventeen years! He didn't care that I begged to come home for two years. He didn't care that at that camp they beat us or made us walk around naked in a room full of guys! He didn't care that they made us sit there and watch different kinds of porn. Do you know that's all apart of their electric shock program that he signed me up for? Were you there when they beat a kid so bad he soiled himself and they tried to cover it up so the police wouldn't find out?" Emma snapped, stepping off the block. She could see Mal's eyes widen in shock but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"So no, Phoebus Midas doesn't care about me. He doesn't want the best for me. All he has ever done is tried to break me. So you can keep that 'give him a chance' bullshit to yourself!" Emma spat before walking out of the room to take off the costume. Pulling out her phone she could see she had a missed text from Regina. Calling her brunette girlfriend back, the phone simply rang and rang until the voicemail picked it up.

"Hey this is Regina, I can't come to the phone right now. But if you leave your name, number and a brief message I'll get right back to you."

Emma shrugged before hanging up and dialing again. Same result. Maybe the brunette finally realized she didn't want to deal with Emma and her excessive baggage. Cradling her phone in her hand, she prayed that wasn't the case. Promising herself she was only going to call Regina once more, she pressed redial. Voice mail, Redial, Voice Mail, Redial. She stopped when she realized she had called her girlfriend well over fifteen times and still received no reply. Quickly she made her way up to her nook of the studio before grabbing the bottle of liquor she had previously kept up there.

It wasn't smart, using alcohol as her vise but she could care less about what people thought. Out of all of the things she had been through, this was the one constant that would dull her nerves and help her deal with the harsh realities of life. No amount of therapy that her mother recommended would ever make what happened to her right. Sitting in a chair talking about her feelings wouldn't stop making her feel like she was somehow dirty and wrong for loving who she loved. With that she took a hearty swig from the Vodka bottle before lying down on the small platform bed.

"This was fun, we should make a thing out of it!" Zelena exclaimed as they loaded their bags into her Range. Regina rolled her eyes but she had to admit she had fun just letting go for a while and allowing herself some retail therapy. Her father could probably get a hemorrhoid when he saw his credit card bill but he wouldn't fuss too much about it.

"It was okay." Regina commented dryly.

"So did you get a text back from your girlfriend, or did she leave you hanging already?" Zelena asked once they settled into the car and were putting on their seat belts. Regina froze up at the mention of Emma only to look back and realize she hadn't had her phone on her all day. It had been sitting in the cup holder in the front from where she had roughly set down when the blonde didn't text her back immediately. Tapping the screen twice while also being carefully of manicure she groaned at the number of missed calls.

"Ohhh, she's going to be pissed with you." Zelena cackled as she caught sight of the number too.

"Shut it!" Regina bit out before calling Emma back. The girl picked up on the forth and last ring.

"Hey babe, I'm sorry I didn't have my phone on me." Regina apologized hearing Emma's heavy breathing before she responded.

"S'Okay." Emma replied flatly, the sound catching Regina off guard.

"Is everything okay?" She asked softly.

"I dunno...I yelled at my sister. Mal not the nice one Kat. She kept saying he loves me...but he doesn't. Why doesn't he love me? Am I really that bad of a person?" Emma sniffled, and despite her speaking clearly Regina knew she had been drinking. Her tongue was far too loose admitting things that she probably had always kept buried.

"No you're not a bad person, Ems." Regina shook her head, wondering where the blonde was so she could come see her.

"...maybe I am." Emma countered in a lighter tone.

"Where are you right now?"" Regina asked, watching Zelena pull over to the shoulder in the road, knowing she was going to be dropping off her sister.

"The studio...but I don't want you to come!" Emma added quickly.

"Why not?" Regina frowned.

"Because I'm not your problem to deal with and fix all the time. I don't want you to feel like you have to be there every time I'm feeling blue. I don't want you to get tired of me and realize this is too much work and just leave." Emma babbled.

"I wouldn't do that. I want to be there, even if we weren't together I'd still want to be there for you Emma!" Regina argued.

"...you always know what to say." Emma hummed lightly, and Regina should hear her drinking something in the background,

"Emma, I'm on my way now." Regina spoke softly, hearing the dial tone. The blonde had hung up on her.

"Can you take me to the studio?" Regina turned to her sister. The redhead simply pulled back out onto the street and took off in that direction.

* * *

One thing was for certain, Emma wasn't a messy drunk. Sure she tended to ramble but other than that she pretty much stayed in one place. So when Regina walked into the small room and closed the door, she was surprised to see Emma lazily loll her head to the side to look at her before she went to speak.

"You actually came?" Emma asked but she wasn't sure why.

"I said I would, why wouldn't I show up?' Regina asked closing the distance between them and sitting by Emma's thighs.

"Whenever I need or want someone to show up, they tend to let me down." Emma admitted.

"Well I'm going to make it my mission to not do that. I might make a mistake and slip up once and awhile but I'm going to do my best to always be here for you." Regina toyed with the material on Emma's over sized shirt. It came down to her knees resembling a curtain.

"Where did you get this?" Regina smirked slightly.

"Jonathan the security guard. He's a part time firefighter, a real nice guy." Emma murmured and Regina could feel her jealous rising.

"I'm sure he is." Regina replied in a clipped tone snatching her hand away but Emma didn't notice.

"He's the kind of guy who I wished I had as a dad. He's always there after my shows to say 'Good job Princess', he's there when my own dad wasn't. Him and my mom got on well in the beginning but they stopped talking after Phoebus threw a fit. I think he was worried that they connected. That someone could treat us like we mattered." Emma replied biting her lip and Regina instantly felt guilty at her jealous reaction.

"My father always says it isn't blood who makes us family. He married my mother when Zelena was just a couple of months old. He isn't her biological father but he loves her just as much as he loves me. She was his first princess that he could spoil." Regina responded watching Emma's lips quirk.

"That a really good thing..." Emma licked her lips before sitting up slowly.

"You wanna tell me what had you drinking again?" Regina looked towards the bottle and was surprised to see not much of it was gone

"The things Mal said, how ignorant she is about the man she calls father. I just needed to get my mind off of it. Get a little buzz you know? I didn't want to embarrass myself again so I was pacing my shots." Emma replied.

"You don't have to be embarrassed with me." Regina rebutted immediately

"Please! I practically threw myself at you and you still didn't want me. It's okay though, I wouldn't want me either. I'm not worth it." Emma shook her head as tears stung the back of her eyes. She didn't expect Regina to firmly grab her chin and yank her face to look at her.

"You know that's not why I stopped you! Besides the fact that you were drunk and I didn't want to take advantage of that, you also wanted to just use me to forget! You wanted to waste something as precious as giving yourself to me as a way of hiding from your feelings. I want to do this right, to court you and treat you like the Princess you are! You are worth it!" Regina replied firmly, before roughly pecking Emma's lips and pulling away.

"Now stand up because you need to sleep this off and Im going to hold you." Regina held out her hand for Emma to take. Guiding the blonde into the low profile bed she pulled the light covers over them.

AN: Sorry I lost my muse for this and What Hurts the Most. I am currently chasing him down and demanding he come back. But Jonathan is going to be an important character so remember him!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten- Earned it**

 **You're always worth it,**

 **(Trigger Warning; Domestic violence down below)**

Regina woke up to feather light kissed being placed onto her neck every few seconds. She was too tired to hold back the moan that escaped from naked plump lips and she could feel the person smile into her neck.

"...Emma?" Regina questioned softly, her hands tightening on the slim hips pressed into her pubic bone. The blonde in question chuckled before she nipped at the expanse where Regina's collarbone met her neck before sucking the flesh into her mouth.

"Baby!" Regina gasped, feeling her panties dampen. She wasn't normally a morning person, but if this was how she was woken up then she just might change her views. Blonde unruly hair popped up and a lazy grin was set on the younger teens face.

"Morning." Emma quipped, yelping when Regina shot forward and grabbed her bottom lip in between her teeth. Nibbling slightly on it before snaking her tongue into Emma's mouth, it was her turn to grin when the blonde moaned loudly. Gripping a handful of the blonde's ass, she pressed harder into the kiss before reluctantly pulling away.

"You have absolutely no idea what you do to me." Regina murmured, pecking Emma on the lips twice before dropping her head back to her pillows.

"I'm sure I have some idea." Emma smirked before burying her face into the crook of Regina's neck, practically purring when the brunette began to massage her scalp.

"You seem like you're in a better mood." Regina remarked

"What can I say, its the company..." Emma's response was muffled but Regina understood her anyways.

"I know the feeling." Regina agreed. They both sat in a comfortable silence for another half an hour until Emma's cell phone went off. Regina leaned over to grab the device and frowned at the contact name.

 **'Sperm Donor from the pits of Hell'**

How did Emma even fit all of that on there was beside the point. Regina was more concerned with either passing Emma the phone and ruining the mood. Or ignoring the call completely.

"Who is it?" Emma yawned softly, not even bothering to raise her head. Frowning at the opportunity presented to her, she was struggling to make a choice. Ultimately she decided that she wasn't going to start off their relationship by lying.

"It's your sperm donor." Regina admitted, and she felt it the moment Emma tensed up next to her. She hated that the man was able to get under her girlfriends skin like that.

"Shit!" Emma groaned sitting up completely as her eyes surveyed the room.

"What is it?" Regina sat up also, stretching out languidly

"He's probably here already to see how the costume is coming along." Emma ran a trembling hand through her hair before standing up and walking towards the costume as she slowly slid it on. Once everything was in place she turned to her girlfriend and watched her try to fix her hair before she walked over and grabbed her hand.

"In case I didn't say it yet, thank you for coming to me. For being here for me." Emma licked her lips as Regina's other hand fell on her waist. The brunette kissed her sweetly before smiling.

"Thanks for letting me be here." Regina responded before tugging Emma towards the door. They had barely made it down the hall before Phoebus came in like a bull in a china shop. He stopped for a moment, his cold eyes surveying the duo before they landed on Regina's neck and then their laced fingers.

"You stupid little dyke! You didn't learn, did you?" He hissed stalking towards them. At 6'4 and almost two hundred and sixty pounds, he was nearly double in size as he physically snatched the petite blonde from Regina's grasp. Emma yelped in surprised and immediately Regina was spurred into action.

"Let her go!" Regina grasped his wrist but the blonde man simply flung her back. Emma's eyes widen in surprise as she began to beat on the mans chest.

"Why can't you just fucking leave me alone?!" She shouted as he dragged her towards one of the sound rooms. They had caught the attention of several other dancers whom rushed around. Regina ran forward and pulled on the man's jacket, ripping it at the arm. She didn't expect for him to reach out and strike her sending her crashing to the floor before he practically threw Emma into the room before closing the door behind them. A sharp gasp came from behind Regina, who was holding her tender cheek. Turning to look at a teary eye Maleficent, she was glad the blonde had witnessed everything.

"That's the man who you think is such a good father!" Regina spat, scrambling off the floor before trying the knob. It was locked, and when the sound of flesh hitting flesh filled the room along with Emma's sharp cry of pain, Regina tried to kick it down for a couple of minutes. Emma continued to scream out in pain and Phoebus tried to yell over her but it wasn't easy to understand. Turning on her heel in panic, she remembered Emma telling her about the security guard before she took off running down the hall. She physically collided with another blonde sending them both to the floor with a groan of pain. Regina landed awkwardly on her wrist and she whimpered in pain before her eyes landed on Ingrid Midas, Emma's mother.

"He has her in the sound room! He's hurting her!" Regina exclaimed, not worrying about her potential injury. She just wanted her girlfriend away from that monster.

"Who has her? Is it Emma?" A muscular man in a white t-shirt glared down at Regina demanding an answer.

"Yeah and her dad. He pushed her in and locked the door!" Regina answered, pushing herself up from the ground using her leg muscles. She watched the man and Ingrid look at each other with something akin to down right panic before the man took off running.

"Jonathan!" Ingrid rushed after him with Regina following right behind them. They turned the corner just as Jonathan bulldozed his way through the locked door and they could immediately hear a scuffle ensue. Regina wasn't prepared to see her girlfriend curled tightly into a ball towards the corner of the room, or to see Jonathan put the man into the sleeper hold. Ingrid rushed towards her daughter, screaming along the way.

"What did you do? What did you do? What did you do?" She wept, pushing Emma's hair out of her face.

"Mommy it hurts..." Emma whimpered, curling even more into herself as Regina watched on helpless.

"I know baby, let me see." Ingrid cooed, urging Emma to move her hands from her stomach but the blonde shook her head with tears in her eyes.

"I want Regina." Emma sniffled, and the brunette felt her feet moving on their own accord to accommodate the request.

"I'm right here." Regina assured her just as Jonathan walked over. He had used his own handcuffs to restrain the unconscious man.

"Don't move her Ingrid, the ambulance is on its way." Jonathan was still running on adrenaline as he paced back and forth before glaring towards the older blonde woman.

"I told you! I said one day he was going to go off the handles and she was going to be the one to suffer from it! You were the one who got all pissy with me for it, but look at her now! You're husband did that to her!" Jonathan spat as Ingrid stammered to speak.

"I didn't think he would do something like this!" Ingrid defended as she tried to stop crying.

"Could you both stop! Discuss this after everything is okay!" Regina snapped, focusing her attention of Emma who was breathing shakily through her nose with her eyes clenched shut.

* * *

The wait in the ER waiting room was pure hell until Regina was urged by one of the police officers who came to get the story, to be seen. A hairline fracture was the cause of major swelling and Regina's arm was set in a hard cast and her parents were called. It didn't take long at all for Cora and Henry Mills to come see why their youngest ended up in the emergency room, she just didn't expect to see her mother to come running at her in five inch heels.

"Regina! Are you alright? What happened?" Cora's eyes widen at the royal purple cast on her daughter's wrist along with her red cheek.

"Mrs. Mills I presume?" Ingrid stepped forward to explain when Regina simply looked away and refused to speak.

"Yes and you are?" Cora narrowed her eyes at the blonde who held out a shaking hand for her to shake.

"I'm Ingrid Midas, Emma's mother. There was a situation regarding my daughter, your daughter and my soon to be ex-husband. He seen the girls together earlier this morning and proceeded to be physically aggressive towards them. I will pay for any of Regina's medical expenses and I'm truly sorry that this has happened." Ingrid apologized

"Physically Aggre-! Are you telling me that your husband, a grown man, hit my teenage daughter?" Henry stepped forward with a sharp glare. Ingrid seemed to shuffled back for a moment before he let up.

"I'm truly sorry that this happened. I never thought-" Ingrid stopped herself before looking away.

"And just where the hell is your daughter at while mines looks broken?" Cora added with a hiss.

"She's in surgery. He kicked her so hard one of her ribs punctured her lung." Ingrid whispered as she choked on a sob. Cora and Henry seemed to soften at these words, before going to sit beside their daughter.

"Is she going to be okay?" Cora asked softly once the blonde was able to collect herself.

"The lung is able to repair itself. They are going to remove the rib and insert a chest tube so that everything has time to heal. Right now the biggest risk is that she can end up drowning on her own blood." Ingrid answered, just as Jonathan walked back over.

"Have they said anything yet?" He asked Ingrid tersely but she shook her head.

"And you are?" Cora raised an eyebrow.

"He's Emma's Papa. Not by blood but by choice. She said...she said she wished he was her dad." Regina whispered eyes locking with Jonathan who for some reason looked away in shame as Ingrid's breath hitched

"She said that?" Ingrid's bottom lip trembled as she turned to look at Regina who nodded solemnly.

"Last night...she said he was always there for her." Regina licked her lips.

"It's hard to believe you know. Everything was fine this morning and now it's not. I haven't even told her I love her yet. We've barely even gone out yet. I promised to teach her to swim..." Regina trailed off, but she couldn't muster enough energy to put forth an emotion besides speaking in a flat tone.

"Honey you still have time to do all of that stuff after she recovers." Cora patted Regina on the knee but the teen jerked away.

"This is all my fault..." Regina muttered but her father heard her.

"Darling that is not true. The only person at fault is that monster." Henry refuted.

"No I should have just listened to her when she told me she wasn't like that. She was so scared of what coming out would mean for her, and now she's here under the knife. Practically fighting for her life!" Regina clenched her hands tightly until her nails broke the skin.

"I need you to listen to me as I say this." Ingrid firmly grasped Regina's hand that wasn't encased in a cast and waited until brown eyes met hers.

"Emma has always been who she is. She has always said she didn't want a prince but a princess. It caused a lot of arguments between me and ...him. But it's who she is. The fact that she felt comfortable enough to be herself with you speaks volumes. She doesn't even do that with Kathryn yet either. We tried to force her to be something she's not, and it ended up hurting her badly. I was the one who agreed to send her to that camp when he brought it up. I should have put a stop to all of this before it even began. Everyone seen it but me. None of this is your fault, honey." Ingrid frowned when Regina looked at her a moment longer before dissolving into sobs.

"Everything is going to be okay." Ingrid pulled Regina to a hug and she was surprised when the small brunette clung to her shirt.

"Family for Emmalyn Swan?" A doctor stepped forward with set grimace.

"That's us!" Ingrid stood up with her arm still around a weeping Regina.

"All of you?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Could you just get one with it?" Ingrid snapped as Jonathan brought up her other side.

"Emmalyn suffered multiple injuries consistent with blunt force trauma. A broken wrist, deep tissue bruising and three of her ribs were fractured along with the broken rib that punctured her lung. Once we were able to stem the bleeding, it collapsed while she was on the table so we took a different treatment method. We have inserted a tube to help aid the recovery of the pneumothorax and she is being moved to recovery right now. In about an hour she will be moved to the room she will be staying in for the next couple of weeks. We removed part of the broken rib but it shouldn't affect her overall anyhow. We expect her to make a full recovery once she is finished with physical therapy." The doctor explained watching everyone sag in relief.

"Can we see her?" Regina asked.

"One at a time once she is moved to her room. And only with the proper coverings. We don't want to put more stress on her if she gets ill." The doctor agreed before excusing himself.

AN: Phoebus is about to make his exit in the very next chapter.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven- Earned It**

 **And you deserve it,**

There were so many wires and tubes, all serving different purposes but working towards the bigger picture. Almost like mirror twins, where Regina's right wrist was encased in a hard purple cast, Emma's left was in a red one. Oxygen was being supplied through her nose, and Regina could see the protrusion of the chest tube coming from under Emma's left breast. Her eyes were closed, and they were purplish blue with bags underneath. A tell tale sign of how much sleep the blonde had actually been getting.

"Hello darling..." Regina croaked out before clearing her throat. She stood at the foot of Emma's bed, afraid to go any further. She could see the expanse of bruised flesh covering Emma's torso, her breast covered in a sports bra like top and her bottoms were a pair of loose hospital paper shorts. A nurse was checking her vitals, and when the heart rate increased, she smiled.

"She can hear you. You can get closer sweetheart, it will do her some good. We were expecting her to wake up by now but anesthesia effects everyone differently. Hopefully you talking to her will give her the encouragement she needs." The nurse smiled, watching Regina hesitantly walk over. Turning slightly to the side so she could use her left hand to grasp Emma's right, she flinched when the blonde's fingers twitched before squeezing her hand.

"I-I'm so sorry...I couldn't get the door open...I couldn't help you." Regina's bottom lip quivered, as she took in her girlfriend's features. Emma tried to breath deeply through her nose before she frown and her lips parted. A small whimper escaped chapped lips, and Emma squeezed her eyes together tightly before blinking slowly. It was a couple of moments before the younger teen was able to get her bearings.

"Hi." Emma managed to rasp out when her eyes finally settled on Regina.

"Hey, how are you feeling? Well that is a stupid question! I mean you're in a hospital bed!" Regina rambled.

"Yeah...How'd I get here?" Emma's eyes flitted around the room in confusion

"Y-You don't remember?" Regina swallowed harshly, placing her hand on the bars to Emma's bed.

"Bits and pieces I think. What happened to your hand? What happened to my hand?" Emma's eyebrows furrowed deeply as she was coming out of her dazed stupor.

"Your...Your dad- He." Regina couldn't finished

"He did this to me...to you." Emma stated in a soft monotonous voice looking straight ahead.

"I tried to stop him! I never would have pursued you if I knew this would be the outcome!" Regina bit down on her bottom lip once it started to tremble again.

"Stop!" Emma snapped before hunching slightly as she let out a wheeze.

"None of this is your fault! I should have told the first time he did it." Emma shook her head before laying back, breathing heavily out of her nose.

"That wasn't the first time?" A deep voice boomed from the entrance. Jonathan was standing there grinding his teeth as he clenched and unclenched his fist.

"Papa..." Emma whispered before flushing a deep red.

"Princess why didn't you tell me." Jonathan shook his head, disappointed with himself that he missed it.

"...I dunno." Emma shrugged as she man walked deeper into the room.

"I can't believe he did this." Jonathan's vein in his temple was protruding as he held in his angry.

"Just like I told Regina, this isn't your fault. This isn't anybody's fault by mine and his." Emma finished the sentence with a coughing fit.

"This ain't your fault! If your Mama had just listened to me-" Jonathan stopped abruptly

"I can't blame her. She wasn't there when any of this happened, she didn't know. She thought he was a loving father to everyone but me. If I had just been better as a daughter." Emma started coughing again

"Don't you ever say something like that again! Your the best kid I know, anybody would be lucky to call you their daughter. That piece of shit doesn't deserve that right!" Jonathan stated but Emma simply looked away.

"Don't tell me that you'd be proud to have me as a kid when you didn't even try for us. I seen the way you looked at Ingrid...we could have been happy once...with you. But you didn't even try." Emma whispered

"What was I supposed to do, Ems? She said she was happy with him, I had to swallow that pill!" He looked at the girl he considered his only child pleadingly.

"You knew she wasn't going to be happy! You knew I wasn't either! Where were you those two years they sent me away?" Emma shot him an accusing glare, watching him look away in shame.

"There was nothing I could do. She wouldn't answer any of my calls or texts. I thought she had finally sent you to live with her sister upstate like she said she was going to do." Jonathan admitted.

"Whatever." Emma grumbled, coughing again.

"Emma, he's here now." Regina rubbed tiredly at her eyes but she could see Emma soften.

"Yeah he is. Is my mom here?" Emma's eyes widened slightly.

"Yeah but last I checked she was talking to her mom and your sister in the hall. Her parents are here too, speaking of they're probably waiting to take you home." He rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at the brunette for a moment before looking back at Emma as if he thought she'd disappear.

"You're leaving?" Emma tried hard not to seem disappointed, but Regina saw through it.

"I wasn't planning on it but my mother is in a mood and I really don't want to set her off. Let me go speak with her." Regina trailed her cast covered down Emma's legs avoiding her exposed bruised torso. Tugging the paper pants up slightly, she sighed before heading out to speak with her mother. She didn't expect to see Kathryn and the older blonde woman arguing.

"This is all your fucking fault! All of it! You let it get this far because you refused to leave a man who has done nothing for this family." Kathryn spat as Merida rubbed her arm.

"Katie, calm down. This is neither the time nor the place." Merida chastised her granddaughter

"Actually I think this is the perfect time!" Kathryn protested

"Kat-" A shaky voice broke through and they all turned to a teary eyed Maleficent.

"What are you doing here? Surprised your not with your mother trying to bail the bastard out!" Kathryn turned on her little sister. Sure she had a good relationship with the younger blonde but Emma was her baby sister, their baby sister. And as far as Kathryn was concerned, Mal did nothing to protect her.

"I never seen him like that Kat! I swear I had no idea." Maleficent argued

"What? Did you think the stories were made up? We told you how he treated her but you didn't give a damn because in his eyes you were his Princess. The daughter that could do no wrong!" Kathryn sneered

"Please! He was the same way with you! Why would I think that he'd be any different with her?! I never thought he'd actually hurt her like that. He told us he loved her, that he just wanted the best for her. I believe him because he was my daddy! How was I supposed to know he was some monster?!" Maleficent shouted catching her sister off guard.

"Contrary to your beliefs, I do love her too! She is my little sister too!" Maleficent stated

"Yeah well you have some funny way of showing it! Why didn't you ever tell him that you were gay too, hmm? He wouldn't have sent her to that camp had you came out when she did!" Kathryn accused.

"Girls, for the last time. This is not the place for airing out all of our laundry! Now both of you sit down and shut up!" Merida barked, watching both of the young women respond to the request.

"I'm going to need you both to give statements to the police." Cora spoke up, already typing away on her phone.

"Mama who are you writing?" Regina questioned before letting out a small yawn. She was absolutely exhausted and wanted nothing more than to climb into her best. But she felt guilty about that considering her girlfriend was laying in a hospital bed right now.

"Your godfather. Seems like someone by the name of Esmeralda McBride contacted him about defending the man who attacked you both. He is being blacklisted right now, the only person that will defend this case will be a public defender." Cora slipped her phone into her pocket before giving Regina her attention. Pushing the brown locks out of her daughter's face she frowned.

"We should probably head home. You've been through a lot and you are practically dead on your feet." Cora said.

"I don't want to leave Emma." Regina argued

"Darling I think she'll understand. Besides they are going to be pumping her with medicine for the next few days. She'll be in and out of it. You are no used to her unless you are well rested." Cora stated firmly and everyone else murmured agreements

"Don't worry. I'll tell her you'll be back. I'm going to stay with her until visiting hours are up."Kathryn promised watching Regina nod reluctantly before she was led out by her mother and father.

"I don't think either of you should be here right now." Kathryn crossed her arms before glaring at her other sister and her mother.

"Katie that isn't your decision to make. Let Emma see them and decide if she wants them here. Right now the wee lamb could use all the support she can get." Merida interjected watching her granddaughter grumble.

Ingrid was the first to step into Emma's room with Maleficent and Merida close behind while Kathryn chose to wait at the door, knowing they were violating the hospital's one at a time policy. The blonde mother didn't know how to feel about her soon to be ex-husbands love child being here but she chose to focus on Emma instead. The teen was blinking slowly, and her breathing was deep as the tube in her chest drained the fluid and blood from her lung. Occasionally she broke out into a coughing fit if she tried to breath to quickly but she was slowly catching on.

"Mom?" Emma's voice was raspy, almost as if she had lost it. It wasn't a surprise considering how loud she was screaming back at the studio.

"Hey baby." Ingrid greeted softly, walking over and sitting in the seat that Jonathan had vacated over ten minutes before.

"Did Regina go home?" Emma looked at her mother with unfocused glassy eyes and Ingrid struggled to keep it together.

"Yeah, she was exhausted. I'm sure she'll be back soon." Ingrid tried to assure her.

"If she was smart she wouldn't." Emma mumbled before lazily lolling her head to the side. She frowned when she saw Maleficent.

"What are you doing here?" She questioned

"Your my little sister, I wanted to make sure you were okay." Maleficent admitted but Emma just crinkled her nose

"Yeah...okay." She muttered unconvinced.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Merida asked rubbing her legs. Emma looked down to the large patch of her covered torso knowing that there would be a scar from where her rib was removed.

"Like I'm going to miss out on the Nutcracker." Emma swallowed harshly, wondering how this particular injury was going to affect her dancing career.

"Don't worry about that silly play, there are dozens more where they came from. You need to concentrate on getting better so I can get you home." Merida watched Emma hunch over coughing with a pained expression.

"What's going to happen to _him_?" Emma questioned

"He isn't getting away with any of this. Regina's mother along with the police are handling the bulk of it right now. You are probably going to need to give a statement but my guess is he will be going away for a very long time." Merida answered, watching Emma nod slowly.

"Baby...I am so so sorry." Ingrid sniffled, wrapping her arms around herself because she knew nobody was going to comfort her after how far she let things go.

"Mom stop." Emma shook her head. Her vision was getting blurry and her speech was slurring as she felt the timed medicine begin to been pumped through her IV. She sucked in a sharp breath as a prickling sensation started at her toes before spreading up.

"But Emma if I had just-" Ingrid started

"Look I don't wanna talk bout it. Either way it happened and nothing is going to change...it. I don't wanna keep living it with half ass apologies." Emma murmured before her eyes slipped close as she fell asleep

 **AN: Been extremely sick for like a month now, my apologies on the delay.**


End file.
